Haemulon plumierii
White Grunt
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Haemulidae (Grunts)
Haemulon
Haemulon plumierii (White Grunt)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Dense covering of scales on rayed sections of dorsal and anal fins. Dorsal profile of head nearly straight. Nares close set, anterior naris oval with flap along posterior margin, posterior naris small and oval. Jaw teeth villiform, arranged in a patch on either side of symphysis, enlarged, slender, and slightly recurved laterally. Preoperculum finely serrated, serrae increasing in size toward slightly produced angle in adults. Gill rakers on first arch 21-28. Measurements (% SL): head length 37%-41%, snout length 15%-20%, upper jaw length 17%-21%, pre-dorsal-fin length 39%-48%, body depth 37%-42%. Pectoral fin rays 17 (rarely 16). Dorsal fin XII, 15-17; anal fin III, 8-9. Scales above pectoral fin base not elongated vertically, larger than those below lateral line. Scale rows between first dorsal fin spine and lateral line 11; between lateral line and first anal fin spine 5. Scales encircling caudal peduncle 22 (rarely 23). Lateral line scales 48-51.
Bluish gray dorsally, paler laterally and ventrally, with blue and yellow stripes on head. Scales on body whitish with blue centers. Some specimens have a broad black stripe behind pectoral fin and a black spot beneath edge of preoperculum. Inside of mouth bright red. Juveniles have several stripes on body, a round spot on caudal peduncle, and lateral stripe continuous with spot.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from Maryland to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Antilles.
Found throughout the Gulf of Mexico within its depth range.
Habitat Associations
Shallow water, near patch reefs.
Biology
Feeds on polychaetes, gastropods, and crustaceans during the night.
Maximum known size about 450 mm TL.
Found in dense aggregations during the day on patch reefs, around coral formations, or on sandy bottoms (Ref. 9710). Juveniles common in Thalassia testudinum beds (Ref. 5217). Feeds on crustaceans, small mollusks, and small fishes. Frequently exhibits a territorial 'kissing' display in which two contenders push each other on the lips with their mouths wide open (Ref. 9710). Marketed fresh. Has been reared in captivity (Ref. 35420).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; mating system: monogamy; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none. Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2015-10-10. Resilience: Low (K=0.11-0.4; tm=2; tmax=13; Fec=64,000).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Courtenay 1961
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Hastings et al. 1976
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Hastings 1979
Lindeman 1986
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Cervigón 1993a
Cervigón 1993b
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith 1997
Vega-Cendejas et al. 1997
Castro-Aguirre et al. 1999
Lindeman and Toxey 2002
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Courtenay, W.R. and H.F. Sahlman (1978) Pomadasyidae. In W. Fischer (ed.) FAO species identification sheets for fishery purposes. Western Central Atlantic (Fishing Area 31), Volume 4. FAO, Rome.
Vega-Cendejas, M.E., M. Hernandez and F. Arreguin-Sanchez (1994) Trophic interrelations in a beach seine fishery from the northwestern coast of the Yucatan peninsula. J. Fish Biol. 44(4):647-659.
Cervigón, F. (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p.
Randall, J.E. (1996) Caribbean reef fishes. Third Edition - revised and enlarged. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Hong Kong. 3nd ed. 368 p.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 p.
Bowman, R.E., C.E. Stillwell, W.L. Michaels and M.D. Grosslein (2000) Food of northwest Atlantic fishes and two common species of squid. NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-NE 155, 138 p.
IGFA (2001) Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
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