elongate grunt
Haemulopsis elongatus · Haemulidae · predator
Grunt of sand and mud bottoms of the eastern Pacific, of no interest to fishing. It lives in coastal waters from Mexico to Panama.
Also called: roncador-alongado, ronco alargado, pargo bejuco, elongate grunt
- maximum
- 30 cm

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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why this index at —?
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 elongate grunt
who is the elongate grunt
The elongate grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 30 cm, and the common size is 15 cm. It lives in the eastern Pacific, from Mazatlán, in Mexico, to Panama, on sand or mud bottoms in coastal waters. It has a sturdy, slightly compressed and low body, with a very small, terminal mouth, whose rear edge lies in front of the eye. The body is dull gray, with a paler belly. It is of no interest to fishing.
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 elongate grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Sturdy body, slightly compressed and low, with a paler belly than back. The body is dull gray, and the mouth is very small and terminal. The armpit of the pectoral fins and the upper edge of the gill cover are black, the most useful mark for recognizing it. It can be confused with Haemulopsis axillaris, of the same genus and the same region, which has longitudinal stripes and five or six dark vertical bars on the body.
where found
Occurs in the eastern Pacific, from Mazatlán, in Mexico, to Panama, in coastal waters.
Habitat: Sand or mud bottoms of coastal waters.
rules for the elongate 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.
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 danger to anglers. If released, return it to the water carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01514, b = 2.93; 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: Haemulopsis elongatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Haemulopsis elongatusNames by country and language.
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: