White Grunt

Description:

The body is moderately elongate, with an elevated and compressed back. The head is long with a sharp snout. Dorsal and anal fins of the white grunt are completely covered with scales. The caudal fin is forked and the pectoral fin long and falcate. The scales above the lateral line are larger than those scales located below the lateral line. · Coloration The white grunt is silvery white to cream-colored, the head is bronze to yellow dorsally while the ventral side of the head and belly is white. There is a series of dark blue stripes on the head, margined with yellow-bronze running back into the body. Each scale's margin is bronze and the posterior edge is often gray. Scale rows above the lateral line are larger than those below the lateral line. The spinous dorsal fin is chalky to yellowish-white, the soft dorsal, soft anal, and caudal fins are brownish gray. The pelvic fins are chalky, while the pectoral fins range from light yellow to chalky in color. A black blotch is located on the preopercle and the inside of the mouth is red. The color of this fish is changeable, with the fish appearing in a shade matching the immediate surroundings. Over sand, near coral, even the darkest spots may fade to a pale yellow color.

Habitat:

Shallow waters inside reef.