Kingdom Animalia Class Actinopterygii Family Haemulidae Rank Species | Phylum Chordata Order Perciformes Genus Haemulon | |
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Haemulon scudderii, commonly called grey grunt or mojarra grunt, is a species of marine fish in the family Haemulidae.
Contents
Description
The grey grunt is a medium-sized fish that can reach a maximum length of 35 cm, but the ones usually observed are rather 30 cm. It has a laterally compressed body with a forked caudal fin. Its background color is silver with small dark spots on every scale giving the impression that they are drawing lines following the scale series. The rim of the eye and the outer edge of the gill opening are bronze yellow. All the fins are dark grey.
Distribution & habitat
The grey grunt is widespread throughout the eastern Ocean Pacific from Mexico to Ecuador including the Galapagos.
This grunt likes exposed areas of coral reefs and rocky coasts between 3 and 40 meters deep.
Biology
The grey grunt 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.