Genus: Orthopristis, Grunts, Pigfish Grunt

ORTHOPRISTIS

GRUNTS

Elongate, elliptical, strongly compressed; rear margin of bone under eye concealed by scales; mouth short, ends before eye, with thin lips, usually not red inside; chin with 2 front pores plus a longitudinal groove; preopercle finely serrated, lower serrations do not point forwards; dorsal fin without notch, XII-XIII, 12-15; anal fin with long base, III, 9-13, 2nd spine not much thicker and longer than 3rd; scales over entire body and head except front of snout, lips and chin; body scales without small accessory scales; soft dorsal and anal scaleless; no dark stripes or bars.

A new world, tropical to warm temperate genus with 8 species; 1 NW Atlantic and 1 W Atlantic species in our region.