yellowhead wrasse
Halichoeres garnoti · Labridae · predator
A small reef wrasse with a yellow head and adult males with a strongly marked black band. It is hardly ever caught by rod fishing.
Also called: gudião-amarelo, bodião-de-cabeça-amarela, doncella cabeciamarilla, yellowhead wrasse
- maximum
- 19 cm
- depth
- 4–60 m
the right time
to be on the water
Choose the place and the species. The index, from 0 to 100, combines weather, sun, moon and tide with each fish's habits. Up to 28 days, with each day's confidence.
Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…
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hour by hour
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choose the day
Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
the fishing month at a glance
what's the best window for the crew?
Choose how many fishing days. We compare each stretch by its average index, discount days with a warning or closed season, and show the 3 best.
trend for the coming weeks
Line: the middle value of 31 simulations of the American GEFS model. Band: where 8 out of 10 fall. Narrow, firm trend; wide, high uncertainty.
everything about the yellowhead wrasse
who is the yellowhead wrasse
A fish of the family Labridae, reaching 19.3 cm. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from Bermuda and southern Florida to southeastern Brazil. It lives on reefs and exposed rocks, 4 to 60 m deep, and is always on the move. It feeds on a variety of invertebrates. During spawning it forms courtship aggregations. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite: it is born female and can change into a male, with the sex change happening at 7.3 cm. In fishing it is of little interest because of its small size, and it is sold for aquariums.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the yellowhead wrasse; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- The sex change happens at 7.3 cm in length.
identification
Juveniles are yellow, with a silvery blue stripe along the flank. Terminal males (the largest) have a vertical black bar just behind the tip of the pectoral fin, which joins a large black area on the upper body, reaching the top of the caudal peduncle and the upper part of the tail. It is one of the easiest wrasses to recognize at every stage.
where found
Western Atlantic, from Bermuda and southern Florida to southeastern Brazil, including the Caribbean. In Brazil there are records from the Northeast and Southeast.
Habitat: Reefs and exposed rocks, 4 to 60 m deep.
coast
rules for the yellowhead wrasse
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 (Ministerial Ordinance GM/MMA No. 1.667/2026).
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
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.
No dangerous spines or venom, and it is harmless to handle.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.00977, b = 3.14; 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
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Halichoeres garnoti (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Halichoeres garnotiNames by country and language.
- 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.
similar species
where each number comes from
The weather comes from three independent global models, cross-checked hour by hour: when they agree, confidence goes up; when they diverge, the band between them shows on the chart. Beyond 16 days, we use the GEFS ensemble of 31 simulations: if 20 of the 31 predict rain, the chance of rain is 65%. Sun and moon are calculated astronomically, with no uncertainty.
The index adds up, weighted for each species: time of day (species curve anchored to real sunrise and sunset), moon (transits, rise and set, phase), pressure (3 h trend and 24 h swing), water temperature (in rivers, estimated from air temperature; at sea, estimated by an ocean model), wind, rain, clouds, tide and the month in the species' cycle.
sources for this lookup
how accurate the forecast is
Accuracy measured in the reference project (4 regions, 93 days, forecast vs. observed): maximum temperature is off by 0.6 °C on average the next day and 1.7 °C at 7 days; rain of 5 mm or more is detected 76% of the time the next day and 57% at 7 days. Detection isn't everything: the false alarm rate isn't published here yet, and 93 days in 4 regions is still a small sample. We now also measure every day, at the app's destinations: