Smallmouth Grunt

Haemulon chrysargyreum is a species of marine fish in the family Haemulidae.

Description

The smallmouth grunt is a small sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 23 cm, but the ones usually observed are rather 17 cm. It has a laterally compressed body with a forked caudal fin. Its background color is silver with five bronze-yellow horizontal lines on its sides. All fins are partially or completely yellow. And its vernacular name comes from the fact that it has the smallest mouth of its family.

Distribution & habitat

The smallmouth grunt is widespread throughout the western Atlantic Ocean from south Florida to the cost of Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

This grunt likes exposed areas of coral reefs and rocky coasts up to 25 meters deep.

Biology

The smallmouth grunts live during daytime in school near reefs or rocks and disperse at night to feed at the open sea. Their diet consists mainly of plankton but also small crustaceans and other mollusks.