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Tomtate

Tomtate grunt

Haemulon aurolineatum

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Fun Facts

These fish are some of the smallest grunts. While fishers usually don't focus on them, they are important sources of food for larger reef fishes.

Species Type:

Fishes

Common Name(s):

Tomtate grunt

Size:

Tomtate grunts grow to an average size of 7 inches (18 centimeters) long. The largest recorded length of a tomtate grunt is 11 inches (28 centimeters).

Diet:

These fish feed on shrimp, crabs, plankton, algae, and mollusks like scallops and snails.

Range & Habitat:

These fish can be found in seagrass beds, sandy bottoms and coral reefs throughout the Gulf of Mexico and western Atlantic ocean.

Details:

The tomtate grunt is silvery grey with yellow stripes running from their head to the base of their tail. They have light blue fins and tails. Younger tomate grunts have small black dots at the base of their tail.