Saddle grunt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saddle grunt |
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The saddle grunt (Pomadasys maculatus) is a type of ray-finned fish that lives in the ocean. It's also known as the blotched grunt or blotched javelin. This fish belongs to a group called "grunts" because of the grunting sounds they make! You can find them in the warm waters of the Indo-West Pacific region.
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What the Saddle Grunt Looks Like
The saddle grunt has a body that's about two and a half times longer than it is tall. It has a rounded head with a small mouth. Inside its mouth are brush-like bands of teeth.
Its top fin, called the dorsal fin, has 12 strong spines and 13 to 15 soft rays. The fin underneath, called the anal fin, has 3 spines and usually 7 soft rays.
This fish is mostly silvery-grey. Its head might look a bit purplish or brownish. It has broken vertical stripes across its neck and back. The stripe on its neck is usually the easiest to see. The spiny part of its dorsal fin has a big black spot. Both the dorsal fin and the tail fin (called the caudal fin) have black edges. Its other fins are yellowish.
Saddle grunts can grow up to about 59.3 centimeters (about 23 inches) long. However, they are usually around 30 centimeters (about 12 inches) long. The heaviest one ever recorded weighed about 3.2 kilograms (about 7 pounds).
Where Saddle Grunts Live
The saddle grunt lives in a very large area of the world. You can find it all along the east coast of Africa, from the Red Sea down to South Africa. It also lives across the Indian Ocean, including places like the Seychelles. Its home stretches as far east as Queensland, Australia, and north to southern Japan.
Habitat and Life Cycle
Saddle grunts live in coastal waters, usually between 20 and 120 meters deep. They like open bays and estuaries, which are places where rivers meet the sea. These fish are amphidromous, meaning they can move between fresh and saltwater during different parts of their lives.
They mostly eat small crustaceans, like crabs or shrimp, or other smaller fish. When it's time to have babies, saddle grunts are oviparous. This means they lay eggs. They also form special pairs to lay their eggs.
How Saddle Grunts Got Their Name
The saddle grunt was first officially described in 1793. A German naturalist named Marcus Elieser Bloch gave it the scientific name Anthias maculatus. The word maculatus means "spotted" in Latin. This name refers to the black spots and blotches on the fish's back and neck.
Saddle Grunts and People
People fish for saddle grunts in many places where they live. Fishermen catch them using different methods. These include bottom trawls (large nets dragged along the seafloor), handlines, and traps. They are also caught with spears.
Saddle grunts are often found in large numbers in areas where people fish for prawns. The fish caught are usually sold fresh to eat. Some of them are preserved by salting or smoking them.
