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Illustration of Black grunt
fishing forecast

black grunt

Haemulon bonariense · full profile

location

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period

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the species

everything about the black grunt

how to recognize it

Silvery blue, with many oblique dark yellow stripes along the body. It has a small amount of black pigment under the upper edge of the preopercle, the cheek bone behind the eye. Spindle-shaped body, normal for grunts. The pattern of oblique stripes on the body is what separates this species from the other grunts in the region.

Also called: roncador-de-listras-oblíquas, ronco prieto, ronco rayado, corocoro rayado, black grunt

don't confuse with:

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

Where to look: Shallow shelf areas, on mud and sand bottoms, 1 to 50 m deep.

Western Atlantic, from southern Florida and the Antilles to Venezuela, in the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico and the coast of Central America. Uruguay also appears among the countries of occurrence.

rules for the black 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 = 0.0166, 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 black grunt

Fish of the family Haemulidae, reaching 40 cm. It occurs in the western Atlantic, from southern Florida and the Antilles to Venezuela; Uruguay also appears among the countries of occurrence. It lives in shallow shelf areas, on mud and mud-sand bottoms, from 1 to 50 m deep, and is less common in clear waters with coral reefs. It has commercial use and is sold fresh and salted. There are reports of ciguatera in this species.

Family: Haemulidae · predator

in the kitchen

Sold fresh and salted. There are reports of ciguatera, so avoid eating specimens of doubtful origin.

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: Haemulon bonariense (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 Haemulon bonarienseNames by country and language.