Diagramma pictum
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Haemulidae (Grunts)
Diagramma
Diagramma pictum
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Description: Small juveniles dorsal spinous fin black, with stripes, broad black on median of body to tail, and yellow or white from eye to upper caudal fin. Large juveniles yellow or white with broad black horizontal stripes on body, dorsal fins and tail. Subadult greyish silver with brownish orange spots on head, body, and median fins. Adults become plain grey or spotted. (Ref. 48635, 90102) The Queensland fish are plain grey (Ref. 48635). Body depth 2.7-3.0 in SL. Dorsal fins 2nd spine longest. Juveniles caudal fin slightly rounded to truncate with growth. (Ref. 90102) Striking features: none.
Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: Arabian and Mozambique channel eastward to Gulf to Palau north to Japan south to New Caledonia.
Habitat Associations
Marine. reef-associated. depth range 1-170 m. Found in: estuaries, mangroves, coral reefs, seagrass beds.
Biology
Typically found solitary or in groups, often in turbid water. on open muddy, sandy or silty substrates in protected bays or estuaries, around rock outcrops, wreckage and debris (Ref. 48635, 90102). Also in shallow coastal areas and coral reefs (Ref. 30573). Juveniles are found in weedy areas (Ref. 2799). Feeds on benthic invertebrates and fishes (Ref. 30573). Reportedly ciguatoxic in some areas (Ref. 2799). Marketed fresh and frozen (Ref. 9987).
Max length: 100.0 cm FL; common length: 55.0 cm TL; max weight: 6300 g; max age: 13 years.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: N.E. (N.E.). Resilience: Low (K=0.17; tm=3-4; tmax=13; Fec=495,450).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: commercial; gamefish; aquarium: commercial.
References
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Randall, J.E., G.R. Allen and R.C. Steene (1990) Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. University of Hawaii Press, Honolulu, Hawaii. 506 p.
McKay, R.J. (1984) Haemulidae. In W. Fischer and G. Bianchi (eds.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Indian Ocean (Fishing Area 51). Vol. 2. FAO, Rome. pag. var.
Torres, F.S.B. Jr. (1991) Tabular data on marine fishes from Southern Africa, Part I. Length-weight relationships. Fishbyte 9(1):50-53.
Pauly, D., A. Cabanban and F.S.B. Torres Jr. (1996) Fishery biology of 40 trawl-caught teleosts of western Indonesia. p. 135-216. In D. Pauly and P. Martosubroto (eds.) Baseline studies of biodiversity:the fish resource of western Indonesia. ICLARM Studies and Reviews 23.
Myers, R.F. (1999) Micronesian reef fishes: a comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia, 3rd revised and expanded edition. Coral Graphics, Barrigada, Guam. 330 p.
Kulbicki, M., Y.-M. Bozec, P. Labrosse, Y. Letourneur, G. Mou-Tham and L. Wantiez (2005) Diet composition of carnivorous fishes from coral reef lagoons of New Caledonia. Aquat. Living Resour. 18:231-250.
Allen, G.R. and M.V. Erdmann (2012) Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth, Australia: Universitiy of Hawai'i Press, Volumes I-III. Tropical Reef Research.
Parenti, P. (2019) An annotated checklist of the fishes of the family Haemulidae (Teleostei: Perciformes). Iran. J. Ichthyol. 6(3):150-196.
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