White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tampa, Florida, August 2018. Length: 13.0 cm (5.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Luke Ovgard, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii, Juvenile. Fish caught from coastal waters off Tampa, Florida, May 2018. Length: 13.5 cm (5.3 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii. Fish caught from coastal waters off Big Pine Key, Florida, February 2017. Length: 17 cm (6.7 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Marc Eberlein, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii.  Fish caught from coastal waters off Key West, Florida, April 2015. Length: 18 cm (7.1 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Josh Leisen (joshadventures.com), Gaylord, Michigan.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii. Fish caught from coastal waters off Deerfield Beach, Florida, December 2020. Length: 21 cm (8.3 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Ben Cantrell, San Diego, California.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii. Fish caught off a coastal pier in Key Largo, Florida, December 2013. Length: 31 cm (13 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Peoria, Illinois.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii. Fish caught from coastal waters off Key West, Florida, August 2014. Length: 36 cm (14 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Dean Kimberly, Atlanta, Georgia.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii. Fish caught from coastal waters off Belize City, Belize, January 2016. Length: 34 cm (13 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of David Haselbauer, Scandia, Minnesota.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii. Commercial fish courtesy of Soriana’s Mercado, Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, May 2008. Length: 46 cm (18 inches). Identification courtesy of H.J. Walker, Jr., Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.

White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters of Yal-Ku, Quintana Roo, April 2016. Photograph courtesy of Juan Rojo, Akumal.

The White Grunt, Haemulon plumierii, is member of the Grunt or Haemulidae Family, and is known in Mexico as chac-chi. Globally, there are twenty-one species in the genus Haemulon, and all twenty-one are found in Mexican waters, fourteen in the Atlantic and seven in the Pacific Ocean.

The White Grunt has a moderately elongated body with an elevated compressed back and a depth that is 37% to 39% of standard length. They have an overall silvery-white to cream appearance with a bronze head. The inside of their mouth is red. All their fins are yellowish-white. They have the ability to quickly change colors to match their surroundings. They have a series of dark blue stripes with yellow-bronze edges on their head, a key to identification. They have a black spot on top of their gill cover. Their head is long with a sharp snout. Their anal fin has 3 spines, with the second being similar to the third, and 8 or 9 rays; their caudal fin is forked; their first dorsal fin has 12 spines; their second dorsal fin has 15 to 17 rays; and, their pectoral fins are long. They have 21 to 27 gill rakers. They are covered with scales.

The White Grunt is found in large schools on the outer reef edges at depths up to 24 m (80 feet); they are also found over hard bottoms at depths up to 35 m (115 feet). They reach a maximum of 43 cm (17 inches) in length and 2.5 kg (5 lbs 8 oz) in weight. As of January 1, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 2.94 kg (6 lbs 8 oz) with the fish caught from coastal waters off North Brunswick, Georgia in May 1989. They are nocturnal carnivores feeding on benthic crustaceans, echinoderms, small fish and mollusks. In turn they are preyed upon by groupers, mackerel, sharks and snappers. They have lifespans of up to eighteen years. The White Grunt is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The White Grunt is a resident of all waters of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean.

The White Grunt cannot be confused with any other species due to its distinctive head markings.

From a conservation perspective the White Grunt is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable, widely distributed populations. They are pursued by both commercial and recreational fishermen. Commercially they are caught with nets but are of minor importance.  For recreational fishermen they are caught by conventional hook and line methods and consider to be a quality food fish.  In Haiti they are harvested with dynamite!