WHATSTHATFISH
Bony fish

Black Margate

Anisotremus surinamensis

Also known as: Black Bream, Black Thicklip, Dogfish, Lippe, Mexican Bull, Pompon, Spanish Grunt, Surf Bream, Sweetlips, Thicklip Grunt

Adult
@diversitti · Amoray Dive Resort, United States · August 20151 / 3
01

Overview

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.

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.

02

How to identify

COLOURS
Fins & Tail
black fins

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 3
LIVES IN

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.

04

Adult photos 3

05

Discussion 3

Comments are checked by a moderator before they appear.

3 comments

  • malakii· 3 Apr 2018

    hey 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.

  • Paul· 22 May 2011

    Peter, 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....

  • peter olejnik· 12 May 2011

    I 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

ALL STAGES
FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

Deep dive

Taxonomy

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classTeleostei
  4. orderEupercaria incertae sedis
  5. familyHaemulidae
  6. genusAnisotremus
  7. speciesAnisotremus surinamensis (Bloch, 1791)

SourcesWoRMSFishBase

06

More in the family

Grunts (Haemulidae)