Terapontidae
Encyclopedia
Grunters or tigerperches are fishes in the family Terapontidae (also spelled Teraponidae, Theraponidae or Therapontidae). They are found in shallow coastal waters in the Indian Ocean
and western Pacific, where they live in saltwater
, brackish and freshwater
habitats. They grow up to 80 cm in length and feed on fishes, insect
s and other invertebrate
s.
When caught, grunters make the characteristic grunting sounds that give them their name.
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
and western Pacific, where they live in saltwater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
, brackish and freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
habitats. They grow up to 80 cm in length and feed on fishes, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s and other invertebrate
Invertebrate
An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 97% of all animal species – all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata .Invertebrates form a paraphyletic group...
s.
When caught, grunters make the characteristic grunting sounds that give them their name.
Species
There are 50 species in 15 genera:- Genus Amniataba
- Tiger grunter, Amniataba affinis (Mees & Kailola, 1977).
- Yellowtail trumpeterYellowtail trumpeterThe Yellowtail trumpeter, Amniataba caudavittata, is a common species of coastal marine fish of the grunter family; Terapontidae...
, Amniataba caudavittata (RichardsonJohn Richardson (naturalist)Sir John Richardson was a Scottish naval surgeon, naturalist and arctic explorer.Richardson was born at Dumfries. He studied medicine at Edinburgh University, and became a surgeon in the navy in 1807. He traveled with John Franklin in search of the Northwest Passage on the Coppermine Expedition of...
, 1845). - Barred grunter, Amniataba percoides (Günther, 1864).
- Genus Bidyanus
- Silver PerchSilver PerchSilver perch is a medium sized freshwater fish endemic to the Murray-Darling river system in south-eastern Australia. The scientific name comes from an aboriginal name for the species recorded by Major Mitchell on his 1832 expedition. It is not a perch, being a grunter in the family Terapontidae...
or Bidyan perchSilver PerchSilver perch is a medium sized freshwater fish endemic to the Murray-Darling river system in south-eastern Australia. The scientific name comes from an aboriginal name for the species recorded by Major Mitchell on his 1832 expedition. It is not a perch, being a grunter in the family Terapontidae...
, Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell, 1838).
- Silver Perch
- Genus HanniaHanniaHannia is a genus of fish in the Terapontidae family.It contains the following species:* Greenway's grunter...
- Greenway's grunterGreenway's grunterGreenway's grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Source:* Wager, R. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
, Hannia greenwayi Vari, 1978.
- Greenway's grunter
- Genus Hephaestus
- Adamson's grunterAdamson's GrunterAdamson's Grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Lake Kutubu in the Kikori River system, Papua New Guinea....
, Hephaestus adamsoni (Trewavas, 1940). - Hephaestus carbo (Ogilby & McCulloch, 1916).
- Long-nose sooty grunterLong-nose sooty grunterThe long-nose sooty grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Source:* Wager, R. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
, Hephaestus epirrhinos Vari & Hutchins, 1978. - Sooty grunterSooty grunterNamed after Tom Eyears sooty grunter is also known as a "sooty", "bream", "grunter", and "blackbream". They can weigh up to . Sooty grunters prefer rivers with clear flowing water and a sandy or rocky substrate, but have a wide range of environmental tolerance.Sooty grunters live in Queensland...
, Hephaestus fuliginosus (Macleay, 1883). - Mountain grunter, Hephaestus habbemai (Weber, 1910).
- Hephaestus komaensis Allen & Jebb, 1993.
- Lined grunter, Hephaestus lineatus Allen, 1984.
- Hephaestus obtusifrons (Mees & Kailola, 1977).
- Raymond's grunter, Hephaestus raymondi (Mees & Kailola, 1977).
- Röemer's grunter, Hephaestus roemeri (Weber, 1910).
- Sepik grunter, Hephaestus transmontanus (Mees & Kailola, 1977).
- Threespot grunterThreespot grunterThe threespot grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea.-Source:* Allen, G. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
, Hephaestus trimaculatus (Macleay, 1883).
- Adamson's grunter
- Genus Lagusia
- Lagusia micracanthus (Bleeker, 1860).
- Genus LeiopotheraponLeiopotheraponLeiopotherapon is a genus of fish in the Terapontidae family.It contains the following species:* fortesque grunter * large-scale grunter...
- Fortescue grunter, Leiopotherapon aheneus (Mees, 1963).
- Large-scale grunterLarge-scale grunterThe large-scale grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Source:* Wager, R. 1996. . Downloaded on 4 August 2007....
, Leiopotherapon macrolepis Vari, 1978. - Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Kner, 1864).
- Spangled perch, Leiopotherapon unicolor (Günther, 1859).
- Genus MesopristesMesopristesMesopristes is a genus of fish in the Terapontidae family.It contains the following species:* Mesopristes elongatus...
- Silver grunter, Mesopristes argenteus (De vis, 1884).
- Tapiroid grunter, Mesopristes cancellatus (CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, 1829). - Plain terapon, Mesopristes elongatusMesopristes elongatusMesopristes elongatus is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Madagascar. Its natural habitat is rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:...
(Guichenot, 1866). - Mesopristes iravi Yoshino, Yoshigou & Senou, 2002.
- Genus Pelates
- Western striped trumpeter, Pelates octolineatus (Jenyns, 1840).
- Fourlined terapon, Pelates quadrilineatus (BlochMarcus Elieser BlochMarcus Elieser Bloch was a German medical doctor and naturalist. He is generally considered one of the most important ichthyologists of the 18th century.- Life :...
, 1790). - Six-lined trumpeter, Pelates sexlineatus (QuoyJean René Constant QuoyJean René Constant Quoy was a French zoologist.Along with Joseph Paul Gaimard he served as naturalist aboard La Coquille under Louis Isidore Duperrey during its circumnavigation of the globe , and the Astrolabe under the command of Jules Dumont d'Urville...
& GaimardJoseph Paul GaimardJoseph Paul Gaimard was a French naval surgeon and naturalist.Along with Jean René Constant Quoy he served as naturalist on the ships L'Uranie under Louis de Freycinet 1817-1820, and L'Astrolabe under Jules Dumont d'Urville 1826-1829...
, 1825).
- Genus Pelsartia
- Pelsartia humeralis (OgilbyWilliam OgilbyWilliam Ogilby was an Irish barrister and naturalist.Ogilby was honorary secretary of the Zoological Society of London from 1839 to 1846....
, 1899).
- Pelsartia humeralis (Ogilby
- Genus PingallaPingallaPingalla is a genus of fish in the Terapontidae family.It contains the following species:* gilberts grunter * Midgley's grunter...
- Gilbert's grunter, Pingalla gilberti Whitley, 1955.
- Lorentz's grunter, Pingalla lorentzi (Weber, 1910).
- Black-blotch grunter, Pingalla midgleyi Allen & Merrick, 1984.
- Genus Rhynchopelates
- Rhynchopelates oxyrhynchus (TemminckCoenraad Jacob TemminckCoenraad Jacob Temminck was a Dutch aristocrat and zoologist.Temminck was the first director of the National Natural History Museum at Leiden from 1820 until his death. His Manuel d'ornithologie, ou Tableau systematique des oiseaux qui se trouvent en Europe was the standard work on European birds...
& SchlegelHermann SchlegelHermann Schlegel was a German ornithologist and herpetologist.-Early life and education:Schlegel was born at Altenburg, the son of a brassfounder. His father collected butterflies, which stimulated Schlegel's interest in natural history...
, 1842).
- Rhynchopelates oxyrhynchus (Temminck
- Genus ScortumScortumScortum is a genus of fish in the Terapontidae family.It contains the following species:* leathery grunter * small-headed grunter * barcoo grunter...
- Leathery grunterLeathery grunterThe leathery grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Source:* Wager, R. 1996. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
, Scortum hillii (CastelnauFrançois Louis de la Porte, comte de CastelnauFrançois Louis Nompar de Caumont LaPorte, comte de Castelnau was a French naturalist, known also as François Laporte or Francis de Castelnau.-Life:Born in London, he studied natural history in Paris...
, 1878). - Small-headed grunterSmall-headed grunterThe small-headed grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Source:* Wager, R. 1996. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
, Scortum parviceps (Macleay, 1883).
- Leathery grunter
- Genus SyncomistesSyncomistesSyncomistes is a genus of fish in the Terapontidae family.It contains the following species:* kimberley grunter * drysdale grunter...
- Kimberley grunterKimberley grunterThe kimberley grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Source:* Wager, R. 1996. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
, Syncomistes kimberleyensis Vari, 1978. - Drysdale grunterDrysdale grunterThe drysdale grunter is a species of fish in the Terapontidae family. It is endemic to Australia.-Source:* Wager, R. 1996. . Downloaded on 5 August 2007....
, Syncomistes rastellus Vari & Hutchins, 1978.
- Kimberley grunter
- Genus TeraponTeraponTerapon is a genus of fish in the Terapontidae family.Its deprecated junior homonym is Therapon. It was introduced since "Terapon" was perceived as an incorrect rendering of the Greek word therapon. In fact, the intended etymology was = strange thing, monster, wonder + Greek: pontios = marine,...
- Jarbua terapon, Terapon jarbuaTerapon jarbuaTerapon jarbua, Target Fish, Crescent Bass, Crescent Perch or Tiger Bass is a Grunter from the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade...
(ForsskålPeter ForsskålPeter Forsskål, sometimes spelled Pehr Forsskål, Peter Forskaol, Petrus Forskål or Pehr Forsskåhl, was a Swedish explorer, orientalist, naturalist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus.-Early life:...
, 1775). - Small-scaled terapon, Terapon puta (CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, 1829). - Largescaled therapon, Terapon theraps (CuvierGeorges CuvierGeorges Chrétien Léopold Dagobert Cuvier or Jean Léopold Nicolas Frédéric Cuvier , known as Georges Cuvier, was a French naturalist and zoologist...
, 1829).
- Jarbua terapon, Terapon jarbua
- Genus VariichthysVariichthysVariichthys is a genus of fishes in the Terapontidae family. It was formerly known as Varia....
(formerly Varia)- Jamur Lake grunter, Variichthys jamoerensis (Mees, 1971).
- Lake grunter, Variichthys lacustris (Mees & Kailola, 1977).