Description
Also known as Black Bream, Black Thicklip, Dogfish, Lippe, Mexican Bull, Pompon, Spanish Grunt, Surf Bream, Sweetlips, Thicklip Grunt.
Found singly or in small schools, during the day close to the shelter of caves, ledges, and wrecks, dispersing at night hunting for food, over sloping rocky bottoms, of larger patch reefs.
They feed nocturnally on crustaceans, smaller fish, molluscs, and long-spined sea urchins.
Length - 50cm
Depth - 0-20m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean
In some areas of the world 'Grunts' are better known as 'Sweetlips' distinguished from other species by their very large rubbery lips.
'Grunts'because they "grunt," the grunting sound is produced by their flat teeth plates rubbing together and this is amplified by their air bladders.
Found either singly or in schools hovering or motionless over the reef during the day, becoming nocturnal predators. Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/1123
3 comments
Posted by malakiihey ppl..in Trinidad, we call them Lippy, because of their thick lips. They are prized eating fish by anglers and are usually cooked in a fish soup called 'broff '...local for broth. A very tasty fish when baked also.
Posted by PaulPeter, these are good to eat. A little redder meat than your mutton or yellowtail, but tasty still. I always keep them when I catch them......fry them bad boys up....
Posted by peter olejnikI caught two of these black margates in 110 feet of water off of port everglades.One was 12 pounds and the other was 9.Are they good too eat?And how big do they get?Thanks