Saltwater · Year-round on Florida, Bahamas and Caribbean reefs; best in calm, warm months.
Saucereye Porgy
Calamus calamus
A deep-bodied reef porgy named for its strikingly large, saucer-like eye. Adults hold near coral and sponge bottom while juveniles start life over vegetated sand.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- Very large eye for a porgy; silvery body with blue and gold lines on the head and cheek
- Fins are silvery
- Deep, laterally compressed body typical of its family
- Strong jaws with incisor-like front teeth and molar-like side teeth for crushing shellfish
- Up to 56 cm; average adults 30-35 cm.
Habits
- Adults live near coral and sponge bottom, usually close to the seabed
- Diet includes molluscs, worms, brittle stars, hermit crabs, crabs and sea urchins, crushed with strong jaws
- Juveniles use vegetated sandy bottoms before moving to reefs
Distribution
🐋 Where the big ones are
- Size: Up to 56 cm; average adults 30-35 cm.
- Best waters: Florida Keys, FL · Florida, Havana & the Northern Cays, Cuba · Cuba, Andros & the Bahamas · The Bahamas
- Prime months: May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Where to find them
- Reef edges and sponge bottom in the Florida Keys
- Bahamas and Caribbean patch reefs
- Sand pockets beside reefs off Cuba and Puerto Rico
Where they live
How to catch them
Reef bottom fishing Boat
Rig: Fish-finder / knocker rig: egg sinker above a swivel, 30-60 cm fluorocarbon leader, #1-1/0 circle hook
Bait/lure: Small pieces of shrimp or squid
Key tip: Anchor up-current of a patch reef, keep the bait tight to the bottom and reel steadily on the bite instead of striking hard.
Small jig tipped with bait Boat
Rig: 6-12 g bucktail or micro jig on 20-30 lb leader
Bait/lure: Jig tipped with a small piece of shrimp
Key tip: Work the jig slowly along reef edges and sandy pockets with long pauses; most bites come as it settles.
Chumming over patch reefs Boat
Rig: Light spinning tackle, small split shot and a #2-1/0 hook fished in the chum slick
Bait/lure: Tiny shrimp pieces or cut bait
Key tip: Hang a frozen chum block in a mesh bag and feed small baits back with the slick; grunts and porgies gather behind the boat.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Medium spinning or conventional reef rod 2.1-2.4 m
- Line: 20-30 lb braid main line
- Terminal: 30-40 lb fluorocarbon leader, 1/0-2/0 circle hooks, egg sinkers 30-90 g by depth and current
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
7'6" medium-heavy jigging rod
≈ US$110-170
Works 2-6 oz jigs over rock and reef and still has the backbone to lift a big bottom fish off the bottom.
Line · Budget
50 lb braid with 40 lb leader (200 yd)
≈ US$25-40
Thin braid cuts the current so jigs stay vertical; the leader shrugs off rock and teeth.
Terminal · Budget
Leadhead jigs, swimbaits and two-hook bottom rigs
≈ US$25-40
A leadhead with a swimbait tail is the universal bottom-fish catcher on rock, reef and sand.
Picks are never paid placements. Prices are guides; price links are coming soon and none is an affiliate link yet.
Typical size
Up to 56 cm; average adults 30-35 cm.
On the table
Good food fish with firm white flesh; follow local ciguatera advice for large Caribbean reef fish.
Similar species
Littlehead PorgyLittlehead porgy is smaller-headed with a distinct hump before the dorsal fin and wavy blue cheek lines; saucereye is recognised first by its very large eye.
Pluma PorgyPluma porgy has a less steep head profile and a smaller eye; saucereye porgy's eye is disproportionately large and its body deeper.Regulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
Plan a trip for Saucereye Porgy
Build today's plan⚠ Heads-up: Saucereye Porgy doesn't occur around Vancouver, BC (or is very rare there), so it's not a sensible local target. Your plan stays in Vancouver, BC and is built around the fish that actually live there.