Black Margate
Anisotremus surinamensis
African Striped Grunt
Parapristipoma octolineatum
About
The African striped grunt is a slim, sharp-eyed reef fish that looks almost black in the water but reveals bolder colours up close. It grows to about 50 cm, though most adults you meet will be closer to 25 cm.
Also known as: african striped grunt, striped grunt, burrito listado, boca de oro, burro listado, janco, meje, Parapristipoma octolineatum
- Length
- 25 cm · max 50 cm
- Depth
- 5–30 m
How to tell it apart
Other grunts and sweetlips share the same slim shape, but few carry white stripes running right through the eye. Look for that eye-stripe pattern to confirm this species.
Appearance
This fish has a long, slender body, a large eye, and a big, angled mouth with a short snout and a visible chin. From a distance it can look nearly black, but the upper body is actually brownish and the belly is silvery. Four white stripes run along each side, and two of them pass straight through the eye. The fins are yellow, with the tail fin the brightest of all.
Habitat
Found along the eastern Atlantic coast of Africa, from Morocco down to Angola, around the Gulf of Guinea and Macaronesian islands, and into the southern Mediterranean as far as Tunisia. It lives over sand and rocky bottoms, from close to the surface down to about 60 m, most often between 5 and 30 m.
Is it dangerous?
Harmless.
Did you know?
This fish's scientific name, octolineatum, means "eight-lined": four stripes on each of its two flanks add up to eight in total, even though only four show on either side at once.
Log it in Into the Blue
Describe what you saw and we name it, then keep every species you find in your Oceandex.
