GRUNTS
HAEMULIDAE
Caesar Grunt
Haemulon carbonarium
    Ecological Descriptors
Habitat Size (cm) Diet Behaviour Sex 
Co, R, Man 35 Mol, Cru, Wor, Ech
Noct
Sh (Pr) F
 
 
Description:
Adult:
Yellow/ dark bronze stripes over white/ silver background. Dark rear dorsal and caudal fins. Tail has pale/ translucent border(cf Bluestriped Grunt, H. sciurus).
Juvenile: Long, parallel upper eye stripe. Spot on tail can be rectangular. Eye stripe often lengthens with age and curves downwards posteriorally. Stripes may be bronze rather than black.


Ecology
Occurs in clear rocky or coral reefs  and mangroves at depths from 3-30m (10-100ft). Often forming schools. Nocturnal feeder on crabs, gastropods, starfish and annelid worms.

Life Cycle:
Oviparous, distinct pairing during breeding. Lays pelagic eggs that hatch into pelagic larvae.

Spawn at night during spring and summer, spawning can occur year round in warm climates. French grunts are pelagic spawners. Pairs rise together in a “spawning ascent”, at the top of which the female releases thousands of spherical, floating eggs.
Caesar Grunt  Juvenile
Caesar Grunt  Adult
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