Genus: Haemulon, Common Grunt, Grunts
D XII-XVI
soft D & A densely scaled
soft D & A densely scaled
mouth: red inside
chin - central groove
chin - central groove
preopercle finely serrated
A: 2nd & 3rd spines similar
HAEMULON
GRUNTS
Body oblong, compressed; 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; dorsal fin continuous, with small to moderate notch in middle, XII-XVI spines; tail forked; anal fin III, 2nd and 3rd spines similar; scales over entire body and head except front of snout, lips and chin; soft dorsal and anal densely scaled nearly to the edge of the fin; inside mouth red.
A neotropical genus 21 species; with 14 West Atlantic representatives in our region.
