Species: Haemulon bonariense, Black grunt
pectoral clear; C dark
juv: middle stripe short, C base - 1 spot, broad front edge
LL 45-48
Haemulon bonariense Cuvier in Cuvier & Valenciennes, 1830
Black grunt
Body oblong, compressed; body depth 33-40% of SL; head deep, blunt, its upper profile convex on nape then straight to mouth; rear margin of bone under eye concealed by scales; mouth small to moderate, lips not fleshy; underside of chin with 2 large pores and a central groove; preoperculum finely serrated, without spines; gill rakers 18-24; dorsal fin continuous, with small to moderate notch in middle, XII, 15-16; anal rays III, 8-9, 2nd and 3rd spines similar; tail forked; soft dorsal and anal densely scaled nearly to the edge of the fin; scales rough; scales over entire body and head except front of snout, lips and chin; pectoral fin scaled on base only; lateral-line scales 45-48; scale rows below lateral line oblique to body axis.
Adult: head & body silvery; body with narrow undulating oblique dark lines along scale rows; pectorals transparent, other fins dusky to dark brown; a black blotch under lower corner of preopercle. Juvenile: two long stripes plus a short one at top of eye; tail fin base with 1 black spot with a broad front edge.
Size: attains 40 cm.
Habitat: on soft bottoms and low-relief hard bottoms.
Depth: 1-50 m.
Florida to the southern Caribbean.
Note: A study by Rodrigo Moura indicates that the correct name for this species is H cana (Cuvier, 1830), and that H bonariense should be used for the Atlantic population what is currently referred to as H steindachneri (here referred to as H cf steindachneri).
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Rocks
- Reef and soft bottom
- Corals
- Sand & gravel
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Mud
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Carnivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic worms
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic gastropods/bivalves
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- All species..
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Island (s)
- Continent
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 40
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 50
