French Grunt

The French Grunt has a silver or gray body with yellow or brownish stripes. The stripes below the lateral line are diagonal, and those above are horizontal. It also has a red lining inside its mouth and yellow fins.

This Grunt is often found in large schools on the reef, near ledges, wrecks, and piers, and it is somewhat cautious. At night, it moves to sand flats and seagrass beds to feed on small crustaceans and other invertebrates. Juveniles, however, are known to feed during the day. Individuals sometimes push each other mouth-to-mouth, possibly as part of territorial behavior or social ranking. It also makes a grunting sound by grinding its teeth together, which helps them communicate when threatened.