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🌊 Marine Least Concern 🎣 Game Fish ⚡ Reports of ciguatera poisoning 🌡️ Subtropical 🎣 Game Fish

Porkfish

Anisotremus virginicus Linnaeus, 1758
Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)
Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)
Max Length
40.6 cm
Max Weight
-
Lifespan
-
Trophic Level
3.6
Depth
2–70 m
Climate
Subtropical
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
38.00/100
Typical Length
25 cm
Depth Zone
reef

📖 Overview

Maximum depth from Ref. 126840. Inhabits reefs and rocky bottoms. Also in mangrove areas . Feeds at night on mollusks, echinoderms, annelids, and crustaceans . Young pick parasites from the bodies of larger fishes . Young are popular aquarium fish . Marketed fresh . Has been reared in captivity .

Scientific Name
Anisotremus virginicus
Authority
Linnaeus, 1758
Habitat
Marine
Climate
Subtropical
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
IUCN Status
LC
Max Length
40.6 cm
Depth Range
2–70 m
Latitude
33°S – 32°N
Trophic Level
3.6
Resilience
Medium
Vulnerability
38.00/100
Salinity
30–40 ppt

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 18; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 9. Body striped yellow and silvery blue; fins yellow, 2 black bars: one from nape through eye to mouth, another from origin of dorsal fin to base of pectoral fin. Only grunt fish in the Caribbean with two vertical black bars and yellow stripes. .: short and / or deep.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Porkfish is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

aquatic invertebrates
small fish
algae
detritus

🥚 Reproduction

🐣 Oviparous 📦 Batch Spawner
Spawning Season
spring-summer
Spawn Location
Pelagic
Fertilization
External

Distinct pairing during breeding .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 70 m . Subtropical; 32°N - 33°S, 98°W - 34°W

🌿 Ecology

Zone Preferences
🌊 Marine 🌿 Brackish 🪸 Reef Associated
Trophic Level
3.6±0.5

📐 Morphometrics

Length–Weight Relationship: W = 0.01479 × L3.05 (TL)
Max TL
40.6cm
Dorsal Spines
12
Dorsal Rays
17
Anal Spines
3
Anal Rays
9

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

Salinity Range
30–40ppt

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

IUCN Category
Least Concern
Assessment Date
2011

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

Population Resilience
Medium
Minimum doubling time
Fishing Vulnerability
38.00/100
Moderate vulnerability
Trophic Level
3.6
Predator
Body Shape
Short and / or deep
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Latitude Range
32°N – 33°S
Described By
Linnaeus, 1758

🎣 Angling Guide

Difficulty
Beginner
Fight Rating
strong pulls with head-shakes
Best Seasons
spring,summer,fall
Best Time
incoming tide, dawn and dusk
Line Weight
15-30
Rod Type
medium-heavy spinning
Hook Size
2/0-5/0
Catch & Release
✓ Recommended
Best Months
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Techniques
bottom fishing popping cork soft plastics live bait
Bait & Lures
live shrimp cut mullet soft plastic paddle-tails popping corks
Recommended Tackle
  • medium-heavy 7ft spinning rod
  • 30-50 lb braid
  • fluorocarbon leader
Where to Find Them
  • grass flats
  • oyster bars
  • marsh drains
  • deeper channel edges
Tips & Tricks
Popping cork technique attracts fish from distance. Fish moving tides.
Catch & Release Tips

Use barbless hooks, minimise air exposure, and revive fish head-first in current before release.

Regulations Summary

⚠️ Slot limits protect breeding-size fish. Verify daily bag limits.

📊 Population Dynamics

Year Region Index Notes
- - -

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Language Common Names
🇬🇧English Porkfish
🏳️Catalan Dara pallasso de l'Atlàntic
🌍CES chrochtal prasečí
🇩🇰Danish Svinefisk
🇩🇪German Schweins-Grunzer · Virginia-Grunzer
🇫🇷French Lippu rondeau · Rondeau
🇯🇵Japanese クロオビダイ
🇵🇹Portuguese Salema · Salema-do-Atlântico
🇷🇺Russian Виргинская каталинета
🇪🇸Spanish Bandera · Catalina · Chopa bocayate · burro payaso · catalineta

Scientific Synonyms

Scientific Name Author Year Status
Grammistes mauritii Bloch & Schneider 1801 Synonym
Perca juba Bloch 1792 Synonym
Pristipoma rodo Cuvier 1830 Synonym
Sparus jub Lacepède 1802 Synonym
Sparus virginicus Linnaeus 1758 Synonym

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 26 records indexed .

Occurrence density from GBIF View GBIF records ↗

👥 Community & Contribute

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