Sooty grunter | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Terapontidae |
Genus: | Hephaestus |
Species: | H. fuliginosus |
Binomial name | |
Hephaestus fuliginosus (Macleay, 1883) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
The sooty grunter (Hephaestus fuliginosus), also known by the name black bream, blubberlips, Northern grunter or purple grunter, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It inhabits coastal and inland freshwater creeks and rivers of northern Australia.
The sooty grunter is a relatively large species of grunter which is brownish-grey to sooty-black with darker scale margins, although some specimens may show golden blotches on the sides. The juveniles possess dark blotches on the anal fin and the soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin. There is a discontinuous lip fold on the ventral side of the lower mandible. As they grow some individuals develop thick, fleshy lips. They have a moderately deep body which is oblong to oval in shape, laterally compressed and a dorsal profile which bulges between the nape and the start of the dorsal fin. It has an oblique mouth with the maxillary reaching the level of the front edge of the eye in young birds but as the fish grows the gap between the eye and the maxillary increases. The teeth are conical and a little recurved in shape and are arranged in bands, with those in the outer rows the largest. There are no teeth on the roof of the mouth. They have a continuous dorsal fin which contains 11-12 spines and 12-14 soft rays, the spiny part is arched with the fifth to seventh spines the longest, the rays are longer than the spines.. The anal fin contains 3 spines and 8-10 soft rays. The caudal fin is marginate. [3] They have been recorded to have attained a maximum fork length of 54 centimetres (21 in), although they more commonly have a standard length of around 25 centimetres (9.8 in); the maximum weight of 6.2 kilograms (14 lb). [2]
The sooty grunter is endemic to northern Australia from the upper Burdekin River in Queensland to the Daly River in the Northern Territory [3] It has been reported from southern New Guinea. [2] although this refers to an undescribed species but it is absent from the Cape York Peninsula. It has been widely translocated within Australia. [1]
Sooty grunters inhabit large flowing freshwater streams, preferring rapidly flowing waters with a rocky bottom and sparse aquatic plant cover. The species can tolerate acidic conditions to a pH of 4.0 and temperatures between 12 and 34 °C. [3] It is an omnivorous species which has been recorded feeding on frogs, insects, worms, crustaceans, algae, plant roots and palm berries. They spawn during the summer as the water levels rise as a result of the monsoon, they may spawn in groups. The males guard and fan the eggs after fertilisation. [2]
Sooty grunters are a regarded as a good angling fish. [2] In Queensland there is a bag limit of 10 specimens. [4]
The sooty grunter was first formally described as Therapon fuliginosus in 1883 by the Scottish-Australian naturalist William John Macleay with the type locality given as the Upper Burdekin River in northern Queensland. [5] The specific name fuliginosus, from the Latin word fuligo, "soot", refers to the sooty coloration of the species. [3]
Mycteroperca bonaci, the black grouper, black rockfish or marbled rockfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. Other fish are sometimes called the black grouper including the similar gag grouper, the misty grouper, and the critically endangered Warsaw grouper. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern United States to Brazil.
Black bream may refer to one of several fish species:
Greenway's grunter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is endemic to the northern part of Western Australia.
Kuhlia marginata, the dark-margined flagtail, spotted flagtail, silver flagtail, orange-finned flagtail, northern jungle perch or mountain bass, is a species of diadromous ray-finned fish, a flagtail from the family Kuhliidae. It is found in eastern Asia and Oceania.
The Fortescue grunter is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is endemic to rivers in Western Australia.
The yellowtail trumpeter is a common species of coastal marine fish of the grunter family, Terapontidae. The yellowtail trumpeter is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea, ranging from Cape Leeuwin in Western Australia along the north coast to Bowen, Queensland, and along the southern coast of Papua New Guinea.
Cephalopholis panamensis, the Pacific graysby or Panama graysby, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
The king threadfin, also known as the blind salmon, blink tassel-fish, burnett salmon, gold threadfin, king salmon, kingfish, Sheridan threadfin, triped tassel fish, or threadfin salmon, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a threadfin from the family Polynemidae which is found in southern New Guinea and northern Australia.
Toxotes chatareus, sometimes known by the common names common archerfish, seven-spot archerfish or largescale archerfish, is a species of perciform fish in the archerfish genus Toxotes.
Leiopotherapon unicolor, the spangled grunter or spangled perch is a species of ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is endemic to Australia.
Hephaestus carbo, the coal grunter or black grunter, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is endemic to rivers in northern Australia.
Eubleekeria splendens, common names splendid ponyfish and blacktip ponyfish, is a species of ponyfish.
Kuhlia rupestris, the rock flagtail, jungle perch. mountain trout, buffalo bream, dusky-finned bulleye, rockmountain bass or spotted flagtail, is a species of ray-finned fish, a flagtail, from the family Kuhliidae. It is a catadromous species which is native to the Indo-Pacific and northern Australia.
Pomadasys maculatus, commonly known as the saddle grunt, blotched grunt or blotched javelin, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It is native to the Indo-West Pacific region.
Pomadasys kaakan, the javelin grunter or barred javelin is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It is native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from Africa to Australia.
Bidyanus welchi, commonly known as Welch's grunter, black bream, or silver bream, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish from the family Terapontidae native to Australia.
Haemulon album, the white margate, grey grunt, grunt, Margaret fish, Margaret grunt, margate, margate fish, ronco blanco, viuda, white grunt, white pogret, or yellow grunt is a species of ray-finned fish, a large grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean.
Terapon puta, the spiny-checked grunter, three-lined grunter, small-scaled banded grunter, small-scaled terapon, squeaking perch or two-lined grunter, is a species of fish from the Indo-Pacific region, it is a member of the grunter family, Terapontidae. It has also spread into the eastern Mediterranean Sea from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal, a process known as Lessepsian migration.
The sea trumpeter is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is endemic to the southeastern Indian Ocean off the southwestern coats of Australia.
The sharpbeak terapon is a species of ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is found in the coastal waters of Asia from southern Japan to the Philippines.