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Illustration of Wavyline grunt
fishing forecast

wavyline grunt

Microlepidotus inornatus · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the wavyline grunt

how to recognize it

Fusiform body, of the usual shape for grunts. It lives in schools that move along reef edges by day and move away from the coast at night. It can be confused with Microlepidotus brevipinnis, of the same genus and coast, which has a blue-grey body with pearly dots on each scale and yellowish fins. It also resembles Haemulon scudderii, silvery grey with dark dots on the scales.

Also called: roncador-de-linhas-onduladas, ronco rayadillo, ronco jopatón, wavyline grunt

don't confuse with:

We don't have tips on season, bait or technique for this species yet.

Where to look: Coastal reefs, with schools that move away from the shore at night.

Found in the eastern Pacific, from Baja California to Mazatlán, Mexico, with few records in southern California.

when to fish

best time of day

0h6h12h18h sunrise ~6amsunset ~6pm

Nighttime. By day it stays in large schools along reef edges; at dusk it moves away from the coast and splits into smaller schools to feed.

rules for the wavyline grunt

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.

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

estimated weight

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how we calculate

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01096, b = 2.95; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.

more about the wavyline grunt

The wavy-lined grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 45 cm and lives in the Mexican Pacific, from Baja California to Mazatlán, with a few individuals reaching southern California, in the United States. It stays on coastal reefs and forms large schools near reef edges by day. At dusk it moves away from the coast and splits into smaller schools to feed on mollusks and crustaceans. The species is commercially fished.

Family: Haemulidae · predator

in the kitchen

Sold fresh in markets.

similar species

sources and references (2)

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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Microlepidotus inornatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
  2. scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Microlepidotus inornatusNames by country and language.