Home · Haemulidae · African striped grunt
African striped grunt (Parapristipoma octolineatum) — Haemulidae

African striped grunt

Parapristipoma octolineatum
Family: Haemulidae
LC · Least Concern

The African striped grunt (Parapristipoma octolineatum) is a saltwater fish of the family Haemulidae that grows up to 50 cm.

Length
50 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–60.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Large groups
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Commonly eaten

Description

The African striped grunt is a grunt (Haemulidae) from the eastern Atlantic Ocean. The species has an elongate, silvery body with a few dark lengthwise stripes over the flank. Like other grunts it can make grunting sounds with its throat teeth and swim bladder. It lives in schools in shallow water, from the shoreline to about fifty metres, over sand or rocky bottoms. As a predator it feeds on crustaceans and small fishes. It is a food fish. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the African striped grunt?

The African striped grunt has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly silver-grey and shows a horizontal stripes pattern.

Where does the African striped grunt live?

The African striped grunt lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around sand or mud bottom.

How big does the African striped grunt get?

The African striped grunt grows to a maximum of about 50 cm. On average the species is around 25 cm.

Is the African striped grunt dangerous to humans?

No, the African striped grunt is harmless to humans.

Is the African striped grunt edible?

Yes, the African striped grunt is commonly eaten.

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →

All data

Identification

Dutch name
Achtstreep-grommer sourced
English name
African striped grunt verified
Scientific name
Parapristipoma octolineatum
Family
Haemulidae
Other names
African striped grunt verified

Appearance

Size class
Large verified
Max length (cm)
50.0 verified
Average length (cm)
25.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey inferred
Pattern
Horizontal stripes inferred
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal inferred
Lips
Thick / fleshy inferred
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
One continuous inferred
Dorsal spines
Yes sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Sand / mud bottom sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 verified
Max depth (m)
60.0 verified
Origin
Native sourced

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Large groups inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Edibility
Commonly eaten sourced
Fishing method
Bodemvissen met natuurlijk aas (worm, garnaal of vis) op of vlak boven de bodem. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Parapristipoma

More from the family Haemulidae

Download Fin's Fish Guide

Identify fish in seconds, log your catches and dives. Join the TestFlight beta.

Get the beta →