Appearance and lifestyle:
Spotted grunter (Pomadasys commersonnii) are elongated fish that have serrated gill covers, sloping heads and a small mouth with dark spots on their sides and dorsal surfaces. They are often seen with their tails waving out the water on shallow banks, as they feed head down. They produce a grunting sound in their throats by grinding their strong jaws together. They can grow up to 80cm in length and live for 15 years.
Habitat:
Spotted grunter are widespread from Cape Point, along the eastern coast of Africa as well as Madagascar.
Diet:
They feed on sand prawns, worms and crustaceans, which they uncover by squirting a jet of water from their mouths, to clear the mud.
Threats:
Some of the threats faced by the spotted grunter are overfishing, habitat loss etc. They are also on the SASSI: Red - Don’t buy or sell spotted grunter. Rather choose a green-listed species.