Sealife guideThe smallmouth gruntHaemulon chrysargyreum

Taxonomy
  • Common name: Smallmouth grunt
  • French name: Gorette à petite bouche, gorette tibouche
  • Spanish name: Ronco boquichica
  • Scientific name: Haemulon chrysargyreum (Günther, 1859)
  • Family name: Haemulidae
  • Order name: Perciformes
  • Class name: Actinopterygii
Description
The smallmouth grunt is a medium-sized fish, typically around 6 inches long, with a maximum length of about 8 inches. The smallmouth grunt has an oblong, slightly elongated body with a silvery-gray color and each side is marked by six broad yellow longitudinal stripes. All of its fins—pelvic, dorsal, anal and caudal—are yellow. A common trait of grunts is that the inside of their mouth is red.
The smallmouth grunt has a silvery-gray body with broad yellow longitudinal stripes along each side and all of its fins are yellow
The smallmouth grunt has a silvery-gray body with broad yellow longitudinal stripes along each side and all of its fins are yellow
The smallmouth grunt’s dorsal fin has 12 spiny rays and 13 soft rays, while the anal fin usually has 3 spiny rays and 9 soft rays, occasionally 10.
Its name, smallmouth grunt, comes from having the smallest mouth of all grunt species.
In its juvenile stage, the smallmouth grunt is distinguished by a dark central longitudinal stripe running the length of its body.
Range
The smallmouth grunt is commonly found along the coasts of the Caribbean sea, the southern Gulf of Mexico and parts of the adjacent Atlantic ocean. It inhabits the tropical waters of the western Atlantic, ranging from southern Florida in the north to the coasts of Brazil in the south, including the coasts of Central America and the islands of the Caribbean, such as the Keys, the Bahamas and Guadeloupe.
Habitat
Smallmouth grunts typically live in shallow waters from the surface down to about 100 feet. They often form schools around coral reefs, positioning themselves near the bottom, along rocks, sheltered under rock overhangs or the large branches of elkhorn coral.
Diet
The smallmouth grunt is a carnivorous fish that hunts at night. Its diet consists mainly of small invertebrates, such as shrimp, mollusks, and marine worms.
In the marine food chain, the smallmouth grunt is preyed upon by larger fish that inhabit coral reefs, like groupers.
Reproduction
Smallmouth grunts reproduce sexually.
Did you know ?
The common English name « grunt » comes from the sound the fish makes, which resembles the grunting of a pig. This sound is produced by the fish's well-developed teeth located in its throat.
Grunts are related to snappers but are generally smaller and have more deeply forked tails.
The smallmouth grunt is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The smallmouth grunt appears in the IUCN Red List since 2015 within the category Least Concern !
Tips for observing
Schools of grunts rarely consist of just one species. It’s common to see a mix of species, including the blue striped grunt, the white grunt, the french grunt and the smallmouth grunt, making it tricky to identify the odd one out unless you carefully examine the stripe patterns and colors.
Most often, schools of smallmouth grunts position themselves near the bottom, sheltered by the large branches of elk horn coral
Most often, schools of smallmouth grunts position themselves near the bottom, sheltered by the large branches of elk horn coral
Within the same genus
White grunt (Haemulon plumierii)
White grunt
(Haemulon plumierii)
Blue striped grunt (Haemulon sciurus)
Blue striped grunt
(Haemulon sciurus)
French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum)
French grunt
(Haemulon flavolineatum)
Cottonwick grunt (Haemulon melanurum)
Cottonwick grunt
(Haemulon melanurum)
Within the same family
Oriental sweetlips (Plectorhinchus vittatus)
Oriental sweetlips
(Plectorhinchus vittatus)
Blackspotted rubberlips (Plectorhinchus gaterinus)
Blackspotted rubberlips
(Plectorhinchus gaterinus)
Diagonal-banded Sweetlip (Plectorhinchus lineatus)
Diagonal-banded Sweetlip
(Plectorhinchus lineatus)
Ribboned sweetlips (Plectorhinchus polytaenia)
Ribboned sweetlips
(Plectorhinchus polytaenia)
Harlequin sweetlips (Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides)
Harlequin sweetlips
(Plectorhinchus chaetodonoides)
Painted sweetlips (Diagramma pictum)
Painted sweetlips
(Diagramma pictum)
Porkfish (Anisotremus virginicus)
Porkfish
(Anisotremus virginicus)
Black margate (Anisotremus surinamensis)
Black margate
(Anisotremus surinamensis)
Explore also
Obtuse barracuda (Sphyraena obtusata)
Obtuse barracuda
(Sphyraena obtusata)
Striped fangblenny (Meiacanthus grammistes)
Striped fangblenny
(Meiacanthus grammistes)
Ternate damselfish (Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis)
Ternate damselfish
(Amblyglyphidodon ternatensis)
Yellowtail wrasse (Anampses meleagrides)
Yellowtail wrasse
(Anampses meleagrides)
Highfin coral grouper (Plectropomus oligacanthus)
Highfin coral grouper
(Plectropomus oligacanthus)
Common stonefish (Synanceia verrucosa)
Common stonefish
(Synanceia verrucosa)
Spotted goatfish (Pseudupeneus maculatus)
Spotted goatfish
(Pseudupeneus maculatus)
Darkfin hind (Cephalopholis urodeta)
Darkfin hind
(Cephalopholis urodeta)
The marine species from Florida
Blue striped grunt (Haemulon sciurus)
Blue striped grunt
(Haemulon sciurus)
Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)
Elkhorn coral
(Acropora palmata)
Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Florida manatee
(Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Green moray eel (Gymnothorax funebris)
Green moray eel
(Gymnothorax funebris)
Hogfish (Lachnolaimus maximus)
Hogfish
(Lachnolaimus maximus)
Lane snapper (Lutjanus synagris)
Lane snapper
(Lutjanus synagris)
Spotted drum (Equetus punctatus)
Spotted drum
(Equetus punctatus)
White grunt (Haemulon plumierii)
White grunt
(Haemulon plumierii)
Les destinations de plongée
Guadeloupe island
Guadeloupe island
La Guadeloupe
La Guadeloupe
Where to go scuba diving in Guadeloupe ?
Where to go scuba diving in Guadeloupe ?
Dive centers
Centre de plongée des Ilets
'Les Ilets' dive center
Noa Plongée
Noa dive center
Sea Dwellers Dive Center
Sea Dwellers Dive Center
Vous abonnez !

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