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fishing forecast

gray triggerfish

Balistes capriscus · Balistidae · predator

Seanational list: EN · endangered

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

Also called: peixe-porco, peroá, cangulo, cangulo-branco, capado

everything about the gray triggerfish where found
Scientific illustration of Gray triggerfish
common size
25–45 cm
maximum
66 cm
common weight
0.4–1.5 kg
record/max.
6.2 kg
depth
1–100 m
ideal water
18–26 °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 gray triggerfish

overview

who is the gray triggerfish

The peixe-porco, peroá, or cangulo is a triggerfish with a tall, compressed body, thick skin with plate-like scales and a small mouth with strong teeth. It lives in bays, reefs, rocky shores, and rocky and sandy bottoms of the shelf, down to about 100 m, on both sides of the Atlantic. It eats mollusks, crustaceans, and other bottom invertebrates, and juveniles drift at the surface with sargassum. It is traditional in artisanal fishing in Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro and common in recreational bottom fishing, famous for stealing bait. Portaria GM/MMA 1.667/2026 added the species to the national list as Endangered. Since it was not on the previous list, the ban on catch, transport, and sale starts 180 days after publication, around October 25, 2026 (Portaria 1.666/2026, art. 12). After that, if you hook one, release it alive.

fun facts

  • The first dorsal spine locks upright and only unlocks when the second is lowered, like a trigger.
  • Juveniles live at the surface, hidden in drifting sargassum.
how to recognize it

identification

Tall, oval, compressed body, gray to olive, with three wide, irregular dark bands, sometimes faded, light blue spots on the upper half and fins, and a narrow pale stripe on the chin. First dorsal fin with three spines, the first strong, which locks upright. Small mouth and high-set eyes. The names cangulo and peroá are also used for the queen triggerfish (Balistes vetula), which is more colorful, with blue lines on the head.

distribution

where found

open on the large map

From Bahia to Rio Grande do Sul, most common in Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and the South; also occurs in Uruguay and Argentina.

Habitat: Rocky shores, reefs, submerged reefs, wrecks, and sand and gravel bottoms near rocks; juveniles at the surface, with sargassum.

coast

Northeast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastcoastalshelf

states

Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul

calendar and clock

when to fish

best season

time of yearbest: Oct–Mar
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

From October 25, 2026, catch is prohibited year-round; the seasonal weights only indicate the fish's activity.

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Daytime. Active by day, foraging on the bottom and circling baits.

weather, water and behavior

what affects the gray triggerfish
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 reduces activity.

atmospheric pressure

Not very sensitive.

moon

Small effect.

rain

Not very sensitive.

water level

Does not depend on water level.

noise

Not very sensitive; often comes around the boat.

wind

Rough sea prevents boat fishing.

tide

Moderate current is no problem.

depth

5 to 60 m for most catches.

technique, gear and bait

how to fish

Natural bait on the bottomRocky shoreBottom fishing from a boat
rod
6'0" to 7'0", 12 to 25 lb
spinning / baitcasting reel
3000 to 5000 spinning reel
line
braided line 15 to 25 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 30 to 40 lb
hook
small, strong hook (chinu 4 to 6)

natural baits

  • lula
  • shrimp
  • marisco

accessories

  • long-nose pliers

tip from an angler

From October 25, 2026, retention is not allowed: if the peixe-porco is stealing bait, move to another spot or use larger hooks to avoid hooking it.

what the law says

rules for the gray 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: Added to the list in 2026; the prohibitions apply from ~October 25, 2026 (Portaria 1.666/2026, art. 12). Global assessment: VU (IUCN, 2011).

Endangered: catch, transport, and sale prohibited from October 25, 2026

catch prohibited from ~October 25, 2026North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coast

Balistes capriscus was added to the national list in 2026 as Endangered (EN). Under Portaria 1.666/2026, VU, EN, and CR species have full protection: catch, transport, storage, processing, and sale are prohibited. For species that were not on the previous list, the prohibitions apply 180 days after publication (April 28, 2026), that is, around October 25, 2026. Incidental catch: release alive on the spot. Until then, the 20 cm minimum size (fork length) from IN MMA 53/2005 applied from ES to RS.

Source: Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026 (EN); Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026, arts. 3º and 12; IN MMA nº 53/2005

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.

From October 25, 2026, every hooked peixe-porco must go back alive. Watch the teeth: remove the hook with pliers. If it comes from more than 20 m and floats, use a descending device.

in the kitchen

It was widely eaten fried and in moqueca, without the thick skin. From October 25, 2026, it may not be kept or sold. There are ciguatera records in other regions.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.02239, b = 2.88; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana, comprimento total)). 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 — Balistes capriscus (ficha da espécie)Names, distribution, biology, length-weight relationship and references. Page checked on October 13, 2026.
  2. 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 listed as EN (verified in the text published in the DOU on April 28, 2026, section 1, p. 96). It is marked with an asterisk in the annex, like the species that were added to the list in 2026.
  3. official Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666, de 27 de abril de 2026 — regras e restrições para as espécies ameaçadas de peixes e invertebrados aquáticosArts. 3 and 12: full protection of threatened species; for species added to the list in 2026, the prohibitions apply 180 days after publication (DOU of April 28, 2026).
  4. official ICMBio/SALVE — Ficha de Balistes capriscus (avaliação nacional do risco de extinção)National assessment by ICMBio, published in 2024. DOI verified on Crossref.
  5. scientific IUCN Red List — Balistes capriscus (avaliação global: Vulnerável, VU, 06/06/2011)Global assessment. Link given on the FishBase entry (Red List, version 2025-2).
  6. official Instrução Normativa MMA nº 53, de 22 de novembro de 2005 — tamanho mínimo de captura de espécies marinhas e estuarinas do litoral Sudeste e SulText reproduced from the DOU of Nov 24, 2005, checked on Oct 13, 2026. Annex II; § 2 of art. 2 (exemption in competitions) was revoked by IN MMA nº 3/2006.
  7. 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.Balistidae chapter (Matsuura, K.), cited by FishBase for the species.
  8. scientific Figueiredo, J. L.; Menezes, N. A. (2000). Manual de peixes marinhos do sudeste do Brasil. VI. Teleostei (5). São Paulo: Museu de Zoologia da USP. 116 p.Printed work; the URL is the bibliographic record on FishBase, which cites this work for the species.