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Marine Fish Families: Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

Explore the characteristics and common species of Gerreidae, Haemulidae, and Sparidae including their unique traits and habits in the marine environment. Learn about species like Red Porgy, Spotfin Mojarra, and more.

jeremy-fitzgerald
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Marine Fish Families: Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

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  1. Family Gerreidae • Mojarras • Common species: • Spotfin Mojarra (Eucinostomus argenteus) Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  2. Gerreidae Characteristics • Highly protrusible jaw, compressed silvery body • Use mouth for feeding on benthic invertebrates • Passes sand out gill slits and captures prey on gill rakers • The silver jenny (Eucinostomus gula) and spotfin mojarra (Eucinostomus argenteus) are almost indistinguishable Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  3. Family Haemulidae • Grunts • Common species: • Tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum) • White Grunt (Haemulon plumeri) • Pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera) Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  4. Beautiful schooling fish, usually found associated with reefs Small mouth and teeth, large molariform teeth on pharynx Haemulidae Characteristics French Grunts Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  5. Diurnal Migrations • Form diurnal aggregations on reefs and migrate to sand and grass beds to feed • Interestingly, migrations always follow the same route • Routes are not genetically inherited, but learned socially as “cultural traditions” Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  6. We have to stop meeting like this!! White Grunts Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  7. White Grunt (Haemulon plumieri) • Caught frequently in the S.E. U.S., one of the largest grunts (25” and 8lbs.) Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  8. Tomtate (Haemulon aurolineatum) • The smallest of the grunts; it is not commercially viable Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  9. Family Sparidae • Porgies • Common species: • Red Porgy (Pagrus pagrus) • Whitebone Porgy (Calamus leucosteus) • Sheepshead (Archosargus probatocephalus) • Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides) Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  10. Continuous dorsal fin; front jaw has incisor-like or canine teeth Grunt-like in appearance, but feeding habits are more diversified Have well-developed molariform teeth on pharyngeal jaws Sparidae Characteristics Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  11. Red Porgy • Was once one of NC’s most valued reef fish but severely overfished in 1980’s Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

  12. Pinfish • Ubiquitous, omnivores (mostly plants) • Larvae are found in estuaries in late winter and early spring Gerreidae, Haemulidae, & Sparidae

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