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fishing forecast

sailor's grunt

Haemulon parra · Haemulidae · predator

Sea

A silvery grunt of shallow reefs, with yellowish spots and bronze on the scales. It travels in schools and feeds at night; takes natural bait on the bottom.

Also called: macassa, sailor's choice, sailor's grunt

everything about the sailor's grunt where found
Scientific illustration of Sailor's grunt
common size
25–35 cm
maximum
41 cm
common weight
0.2–0.6 kg
record/max.
1.0 kg
depth
3–30 m
ideal water
24–29 °C
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the sailor's grunt

overview

who is the sailor's grunt

The macassa ('sailor's choice') is a silvery grunt that lives on shallow coastal reefs, from 3 to 30 m, from the Gulf of Mexico and the Bahamas to Brazil. Juveniles stay in seagrass and mangroves; adults travel in schools over relatively open areas and feed at night on mollusks and small fish. It is rare around oceanic islands. FishBase lists it as a minor commercial fish, a sport fish and a public aquarium fish. It reaches 41.2 cm, with a common size of 30 cm. In Brazil, records run from Pará to the coast of São Paulo state, with many more collections in the Northeast.

fun facts

  • In English it is 'sailor's choice'.
  • The DNA study of grunts from the Brazilian coast (Cerqueira et al., 2021) found a single genetic lineage for the macassa.
how to recognize it

identification

Silvery grunt with a tall, short body. The scales have a narrow brown edge and, in the middle of the upper half of the body, a spot that varies from yellow to bronze and dark brown, forming oblique rows of dots. Dorsal fin with 12 spines and 16 to 18 soft rays; anal fin with 3 spines and 8 rays. Separated from the biquara (Haemulon plumierii) by the spots in oblique rows, without horizontal stripes, and from other grunts by its deeper body.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

In Brazil, from Pará to the coast of São Paulo state, with more collection records in Bahia and Rio Grande do Norte, on coastal reefs. Outside Brazil, from the Bahamas and Florida to the northern Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, Venezuela and the Guianas.

Habitat: Shallow coastal reefs, 3 to 30 m, with adult schools over open areas; juveniles in seagrass and mangroves.

coast

North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast Coastcoastal

states

Pará, Maranhão, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Fished all year in the Northeast; in the Southeast, warm summer and autumn water produces more. It is a schooling fish: once you find the spot, the catches come in a series.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Night and twilight. Rests by day in schools and goes out to feed at night, according to FishBase; the bite is best from late afternoon into early night.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the sailor's grunt
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.

cold and cold fronts

Cold water from a front or upwelling pushes the school off the shallow ledges.

atmospheric pressure

Choppy seas after a front get in the way; the bite returns when it calms down.

moon

Small effect; a dark night favors the fish coming out to feed.

rain

Not very relevant at sea; very murky water near the river mouth gets in the way.

water level

Follows the tide over reefs and ledges.

noise

The school is wary of motor noise and of anchoring over the spot.

wind

Rough sea prevents fishing on the reefs.

tide

A rising tide covers the reef and spreads the school over the ledge; the falling tide concentrates it in the channels.

depth

3 to 30 m; most catches are under 15 m.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Rocky shoreNatural bait on the bottomBottom fishing from a boat
rod
6'0" to 7'0", 8 to 20 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
spinning reel 2500 to 4000
line
braided line 10 to 20 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 20 to 30 lb, 1 m
hook
chinu 2 to 5 or circle 1/0

lures

  • small jig, 10 to 30 g

natural baits

  • shrimp
  • squid strips
  • sardine pieces
  • marisco

accessories

  • sinker 20 to 80 g
  • landing net

tip from an angler

Chum with ground sardine or chopped shrimp: the school rises and the bite stays steady.

what the law says

rules for the sailor's grunt

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). We found no specific Brazilian federal rule for the species.

Mexico: up to 10 marine fish per angler per day, no more than 5 of the same species

10 marine specimens per angler per day; no more than 5 of the same species

In Mexico's federal waters, sport and recreational fishing for marine species has a limit of 10 specimens per angler per day, with no more than 5 of any one species. Fish over the limit may only be taken if released alive. Sport-caught fish belong to the permit holder and may not be sold; fish may not be landed as fillets (they may only be filleted on board for consumption during the trip). For spearfishing the limit is 5 fish per day. Fishing from a boat requires a permit.

Source: Amendment to NOM-017-PESC-1994 (recreational sport fishing in federal waters of Mexico), signed Oct 14, 2013 and published in the DOF on Nov 25, 2013, items 4.9.1, 4.9.4, 4.9.5, 4.11 and 4.12 (Sagarpa/Conapesca)

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.

Release it quickly; if it came from more than 15 m and floats, use a descender. Watch the dorsal spines.

in the kitchen

Edible and sold fresh on a small scale. White flesh, good fried whole or in broth.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.01; 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: Haemulon parra (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked on 13/10/2026. The entry's maximum weight (about 1 kg) was calculated from the length-weight relationship for 41.2 cm; FishBase publishes no weight. The common weight was calculated the same way.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Haemulon parraNames by country and language. FishBase lists 'macassa' as the species' Portuguese name.
  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 IUCN Red List: Haemulon parra (avaliação global: Pouco Preocupante, LC, 01/03/2011)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
  5. official ICMBio/SALVE: Ficha de Haemulon parra (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)Record from the ICMBio national assessment in the SALVE system; the DOI was checked on Crossref. The national category should be confirmed on the record itself: the species is not in Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026.
  6. scientific GBIF: registros de Haemulon parra no BrasilChecked on 13/10/2026 in the open GBIF database (country = Brazil). Records come from collections and observations and show where the species has been seen, not how abundant it is.
  7. scientific Cerqueira, N. N. C. D.; Rotundo, M. M.; Marceniuk, A. P.; Cruz, V. P.; Foresti, F.; Oliveira, C. (2021). Molecular identification of Brachygenys and Haemulon species (Perciformes: Haemulidae) from the Brazilian coast. Neotropical Ichthyology 19(2): e200109.DOI checked in Crossref. For Haemulon parra the study found a single genetic lineage on the Brazilian coast.
  8. scientific Carpenter, K. E. (org.) (2002). The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. Vol. 3: Bony fishes part 2 (Opistognathidae to Molidae). FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. Roma: FAO.Reference identification guide for the western Atlantic (Haemulidae chapter).
  9. official Code of Federal Regulations, 50 CFR Part 622, Subpart S: Porto Rico (NOAA Fisheries, EUA)Consolidated text in the eCFR, checked on 13/10/2026. Among the grunts, the federal rule's reef fish table lists only Haemulon plumierii; Haemulon parra is not on it, so Puerto Rico's federal limits do not apply to the species.
  10. official Modificação da NOM-017-PESC-1994, para regular a pesca deportivo-recreativa nas águas de jurisdição federal do México (DOF, 25/11/2013)Text read in the DOF: items 4.2 to 4.12 (quotas, underwater fishing, sales and fillets).
don't confuse

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