Grunt

grunt (besides referring to an American dessert, for which see slump) is the common English name used for several species of fish in the family Haemulidae (until recently, Pomadasyidae). These are Indo-Pacific fish, mostly of medium size (a typical maximum length would be 75 cm/30"), with fairly deep, narrow bodies and thick lips. Indeed the name ‘sweetlips’ is applied to many of them, e.g. Plectorhinchus pictus, which wears a bright livery and is also called ‘painted grunt’. It is a popular fish in Malay markets, as is Pomadasys argenteus, the silver grunt. In the W. Atlantic, the largest grunt is Haemulon album, the margate, greyish in general colour and an important food fish.