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fishing forecast

ocean triggerfish

Canthidermis sufflamen · Balistidae · predator

Sea

Dark-gray filefish of reef edges and open sea, which drifts under sargassum and floating objects. It takes small bait, nibbles thin line and puts up a good fight on light tackle.

Also called: cangulo-preto, cangulo-guiné, cangulo-garoupa, peixe-porco, ocean triggerfish

everything about the ocean triggerfish where found
Scientific illustration of Ocean triggerfish
common size
30–45 cm
maximum
65 cm
common weight
0.5–1.6 kg
record/max.
6.1 kg
depth
5–30 m
ideal water
24–28 °C
location

Sample location: choose yours to see the forecast for where you fish.

period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the ocean triggerfish

overview

who is the ocean triggerfish

The ocean triggerfish (cangulo-preto) is an open-water filefish, common near reef edges that drop to deep sea. In the western Atlantic it ranges from Massachusetts and Bermuda to northern South America; it also occurs at Atlantic islands in the central and eastern Atlantic, such as St. Peter and St. Paul, Ascension, St. Helena, Cape Verde and São Tomé. It lives from 5 to 60 m, almost always 5 to 30 m, alone or in small groups in open water, often near sargassum. It eats mostly large zooplankton. It reaches 65 cm and 6.1 kg and is caught for sport and commercially. Artisanal fishers in Ceará and Pernambuco call it by several cangulo names, including cangulo-preto.

fun facts

  • Usually seen near sargassum, in drifting patches.
  • FishBase records the ocean triggerfish as a sport fish and as an aquarium fish, sold commercially.
  • Unlike the king filefish, it spends much of its life in open water and eats large zooplankton instead of sea urchins.
how to recognize it

identification

Tall-bodied filefish, grayish brown, with a large dark brown blotch at the base of the pectoral fins. The soft dorsal and anal fins have long leading edges, with rays almost as long as the head, and the tail has two concavities (double-emarginate). Three spines in the first dorsal; 25 to 28 rays in the second dorsal and 23 to 25 in the anal. The peixe-porco (Balistes capriscus) is lighter, with spots, and lacks the blotch on the pectoral fin. Other dark filefish, such as Melichthys niger, are also called cangulo-preto.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

In Brazil, the latitude range given by FishBase (up to 17°S) covers the North and Northeast, and the species is known to fishers in Ceará and Pernambuco. FishBase also cites the St. Peter and St. Paul Archipelago. In Latin America, FishBase's country list includes the Bahamas, Belize, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Trinidad and Tobago.

Habitat: Edge of ocean reefs facing deep sea and open water, near the surface; often under sargassum patches and drifting objects.

coast

North CoastNortheast Coastshelfoceanic
calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Dec
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fished all year in tropical water; it does best with calm seas and warm water, from late spring to summer.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime. Active by day, especially with calm seas and blue water; at night it retreats and disappears from the baits.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the ocean triggerfish
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Warm-water fish: it moves deeper and becomes scarce when the water cools.

atmospheric pressure

Small effect.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Little effect in open sea; muddy river water pushes the fish away from shore.

water level

Does not apply at sea. The equivalent is clear blue water at the edge of the reef.

noise

Small effect.

wind

Rough seas make it hard to stay over the reef edge and follow the drifting sargassum.

tide

The current that runs along the reef edge brings plankton and gathers fish.

depth

From 5 to 30 m for most catches, nearer the surface under sargassum.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Bottom fishing from a boatJiggingMid-water casting
rod
6'6" to 7', medium to fast action, 12 to 30 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
3000 to 5000 spinning reel
line
braid 20 to 30 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb, 80 cm to 1 m (teeth cut thin line)
hook
single 1/0 to 3/0, short and with a strong shank; small treble hook on the jig

lures

  • jig of 20 to 60 g
  • silicone bait imitating shrimp or small squid

natural baits

  • squid strips
  • shrimp
  • fish pieces

accessories

  • alicate
  • luvas
  • boga-grip

tip from an angler

Near sargassum and drifting objects, lower the small bait to midwater and retrieve slowly with pauses. Once hooked, it locks its dorsal spine and slips into crevices if there is reef nearby.

what the law says

rules for the ocean triggerfish

Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
Conservation: Not on the Brazilian national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026). In 2025, a US federal rule reduced the annual catch limits for the filefish complex (cangulo-rei, peixe-porco and cangulo-preto) around Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico (federal waters): up to 5 per person per day

5 per person per day; 15 per boat with 3 or more people

In federal waters around Puerto Rico (outside territorial waters, from 9 miles offshore), recreational anglers may keep a maximum of 5 fish per day in total from angelfish, grunts, jacks and other carangids, surgeonfish, filefish and wrasses (up to 15 per boat when 3 or more people are aboard; no more than 1 surgeonfish per person). The ocean triggerfish (cangulo-preto) is part of the filefish complex in the federal management plan. The limit does not apply to anyone holding a commercial license from Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands.

Source: 50 CFR 622.444(a)(2) (NOAA Fisheries, US), wording from 90 FR 26940, of Jun 25, 2025

catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.

Hold it from the side, away from the mouth (the teeth are strong). The first dorsal spine locks upright and only lowers when the second one, the trigger, is pressed. Release it quickly, with its head in the water.

in the kitchen

White, firm flesh, good eating, but without the fame of the king filefish. Remove the thick skin before preparing. On Caribbean reefs, reef fish can cause ciguatera; ask local fishers.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0263, b = 2.89; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

estimated weight

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sources and references

The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.

  1. scientific FishBase: Canthidermis sufflamen (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. FishBase does not report the common length; the common size range is an editorial estimate.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Canthidermis sufflamenNames by country and language.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667, de 27 de abril de 2026: Lista Nacional Oficial de Espécies da Fauna Ameaçadas de Extinção (peixes e invertebrados aquáticos)The species is not on the list. Checked in the DOU of April 28, 2026.
  4. scientific Pinto, M. F.; Mourão, J. S.; Alves, R. R. N. (2015). Use of ichthyofauna by artisanal fishermen at two protected areas along the coast of Northeast Brazil. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine.Common names recorded from artisanal fishers in Tamandaré (PE) and the Batoque Extractive Reserve (CE).
  5. official 50 CFR Part 622, Subpart S: FMP for the EEZ around Puerto Rico (NOAA Fisheries, EUA), § 622.444(a)(2), redação de 90 FR 26940 (25/06/2025)Recreational catch limit in federal waters around Puerto Rico and species list from the management plan. Text checked Oct 13, 2026.
  6. official NOAA Fisheries: Final rule to modify annual catch limits for the triggerfish complex in federal waters around Puerto RicoThe complex includes the queen triggerfish, the gray triggerfish (peixe-porco) and the ocean triggerfish (cangulo-preto); in force since July 25, 2025. Checked Oct 13, 2026.
don't confuse

similar species

Illustration of Gray triggerfish
BalistidaeEN

Gray triggerfish

Balistes capriscus

The peroá of the rocky shores and submerged reefs of the Southeast and South. Listed nationally as Endangered: catch prohibited from October 25, 2026.

Sea
time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
Illustration of Queen triggerfish
Balistidae

Queen triggerfish

Balistes vetula

The most colorful triggerfish in the Atlantic, with blue bands on the face and filaments on the tail, living on reefs and rocky shores. It steals bait with strong teeth and fights by wedging its spine into the rocks. The flesh is good, but the liver can poison.

Sea
time of yearbest: Dec–Mar
Illustration of Rough triggerfish
Balistidae

Rough triggerfish

Canthidermis maculata

Dark, rough-skinned triggerfish of the open sea, which spends almost its whole life at the surface, near logs, sargassum and other floating objects. It forms schools and takes small bait.

Sea
time of year