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fishing forecast

grey grunt

Haemulon scudderii · Haemulidae · predator

Grunt of rocky reefs in the eastern Pacific, with dark dots on each scale. It reaches 35 cm and is commercially fished in the region.

Also called: roncador-sardento, burro pecoso, ronco prieto, grey grunt

Scientific illustration of Grey grunt
maximum
35 cm
depth
3–12 m
location

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period

Reading the weather across 3 global models and 31 simulations…

the species

everything about the grey grunt

overview

who is the grey grunt

The freckled grunt belongs to the family Haemulidae, the grunts. It reaches 35 cm, and its common size is 30 cm. It lives in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, on rocky reefs and boulder fields, from 3 to 40 m deep, but usually stays between 3 and 12 m. It forms schools above reefs and hard bottoms with good water movement. The body is oblong, compressed and deep, with a large, terminal mouth. It is commercially fished, with little sport interest.

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 grey grunt; in the meantime, see the similar species.

how to recognize it

identification

Silvery-grey body, oblong, compressed and deep, with a large, terminal mouth. Each scale has a dark dot, and the dots form lines following the rows of scales. The fins are charcoal grey. It can be confused with Haemulon maculicauda, which has a dark brown body with pearly blue dots, and with Haemulon sexfasciatum, which has vertical bars on a yellowish body.

distribution

where found

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Found in the eastern Pacific, from Mexico to Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands, on rocky reefs.

Habitat: Rocky reefs and boulder fields with good water movement, from 3 to 40 m.

what the law says

rules for the grey 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.

calculator

how much it weighs without taking it out of the water

Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01514, b = 3.02; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). 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.

  1. scientific FishBase: Haemulon scudderii (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 scudderiiNames by country and language.
don't confuse

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