Haemulon sciurus                                            Photo Claire Sunquist ©

Bluestriped Grunts are a small, tropical fish that is commonly found in the Florida Keys near mangroves, reefs, or seagrass beds. It can easily be identified by the  horizontal electric blue stripes on its sides and by the fact that the inside of its mouth is bright orange. Like all grunts, it was named for the pig-like grunting sounds that it produces when picked up or threatened. While the bluestriped grunts only reach about two pounds, they are a popular commercial and recreational fish and very tasty.

top of page | back to fish