Saltwater · Year-round; best late spring to autumn

Masked Greenling

Hexagrammos agrammus

The small greenling of all three Korean coasts: a dependable reef resident that takes shrimp and crab baits around rocks and piers and seldom leaves an angler blank. It is the smallest of Korea's three Hexagrammos — the otakii greenling (the guide's existing Fat Greenling page) grows bigger and carries five lateral lines; this one carries a single line. The English name follows FishBase (Masked Greenling); the global ledger listed it as 'Fat Greenling', which belongs to the otakii fish — see the doubt list in the merge notes.

Seasons · Peak

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

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Oct

Nov

Dec

Masked Greenling — Photo: Totti, CC BY-SA 4.0 — Wikimedia Commons

Identifying features

Stocky greenling body with a single soft dorsal fin
Five dark saddle-like crossbars over the back
A single lateral line — the separator from the five-lined otakii greenling
Mottled brown-green marbling that matches reef rock
Rarely over 12 in (30 cm); smaller than both bigger greenling relatives

Habits

Territorial bottom fish that rarely leaves its reef patch
Feeds on crabs, shrimp, worms and small fish
Spawns in autumn; males guard orange egg masses
Active all year, including cold winter water
Feeds hardest around kelp edges on both tides

Distribution

Regional coverage expanding

Where to find them

Sokcho rocky shore, Gangwon-do
Geoje south-coast tetrapods
Busan inshore reefs at low tide

Where they live

Rocky shorelines and kelp beds on all three Korean coastsConcrete tetrapod blocks and pier feet with algae growthShallow reefs in 5-30 ft off the east and south coasts

How to catch them

Rock and tetrapod bait fishing Rock fishing

Rig: Small hook baited with shrimp or crab on a light bottom rig, dropped into holes and kelp edges between blocks

Bait/lure: Shrimp or crab pieces

Key tip: Fish vertically into the holes rather than casting out; greenling sit inside the reef, not in front of it.

Light shore casting over shallow reef Shore

Rig: Light spinning outfit with worm or a tiny soft bait cast from the shoreline over shallow reef and retrieved slowly

Bait/lure: Sandworm or tiny soft-plastic bait (natural/lure)

Key tip: Work slowly with bottom contact; bites come as the bait climbs over a reef edge.

Best baits & lures

Small crabs and shrimpSandworm piecesTiny soft-plastic baits on light jig heads

Techniques for Masked Greenling →

Baseline setup

Rod: Medium 7-8 ft reef or spinning rod
Line: 10-16 lb braid with fluorocarbon leader
Terminal: Small hooks size 4-6, 10-20 g sinkers, small jig heads

Recommended gear for this species

Rod · Best value

9' 5-weight fly rod outfit

≈ US$180-260

Covers chironomid lakes and small rivers with one setup.

Flies · Budget

Chironomid assortment (30 patterns)

≈ US$25-40

Chironomids are 60% of a lake rainbow's diet in spring.

Picks come from our rule library — never paid placements. Prices are guides; affiliate links may earn us a commission.

Typical size

Common 8-11 in (20-28 cm); large fish to 12 in (30 cm)

On the table

Good pan fish flesh; in Korea often grilled or stewed, though rated below the otakii greenling.

Similar species

Fat GreenlingFat greenling (H. otakii) has five lateral lines and grows larger; masked greenling has only one lateral line and stays small

Kelp GreenlingKelp greenling is a North American Pacific fish with a forked tail; masked greenling has a rounded tail

Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →

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