D iagnostic characters: Oblong, compressed, perchlike fishes to 75 cm total length. Head profile strongly convex in most species. Mouth small to moderate, lips often thick; chin with 2 pores anteriorly and, in all but 1 genus, a median groove. Teeth conical, in a narrow band in each jaw, the outer series enlarged but no canines. No teeth on roof of mouth. Posterior margin of suborbital not exposed; preopercle with posterior margin slightly concave and serrated; opercle with 1 spine. Dorsal fin

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... ingle, with 11 to 14 strong spines and generally 11 to 19 soft rays. Pectoral fins moderately long; pelvic fins below base of pectoral fins, with 1 spine and 5 soft rays. Anal fin with 3 strong spines, the second often very prominent, and 6 to 13 soft rays; caudal fin emarginate to forked. Scales ctenoid (rough to touch), small or moderate, extending onto entire head (ex-cept front of snout, lips, and chin). Colour: highly variable, ranging from uniformly coloured to striped, banded, blotched and spotted. Adult stages of most species have distinctive colour patterns. Early juveniles (2 to 5 cm) of Haemulon, Anisotremus, and Orthopristis share a pattern of dark dorsolateral and midlateral stripes, and a caudal spot. The length of the upper eye stripe, coupled with other characters, is essential to separating the extremely similar early juvenile stages of Haemulon. The early juvenile pigment pattern can also be ephemerally displayed in adults of many species. Habitat, biology, and fisheries: Fishes of shallow, nearshore waters; nearly all from tropical and subtropical waters. Many species of Haemulon and Anisotremus inhabit coral reef or hardbottom areas and many forage nocturnally over nearby sand and grass flats. Species of Pomadasys, Genyatremus, and Conodon are characteristic of mud bottoms and turbid, often brackish water. Species of Orthopristis can utilize both softbottom and hardbottom habitats, primarily the former. The name of the family derives from the sound produced by the grinding of pharyngeal teeth. Juveniles typically occur in shallower water than adults and may show several ontogenetic habitat shifts during growth. Most species feed on a variety of benthic invertebrates, particularly crustaceans and polychaetes. Several smaller species may primarily feed on plankton, while several larger species feed in part on echinoids. Schooling is present in many species, but may become less common in older individuals. The absence of documented spawning events suggests that reporduction typically occurs after sunset. Several grunts are considered good foodfish and are actively fished for. Due to their abundance, many species are also obtained opportunistically and exploited commercially or recreationally. Juvenile mortality from shrimp trawl bycatch is high in several species. Fishing gear includes traps, hook-and-line, seines, and bottom trawls. FAO statistics from Area 31 report landings ranging from 11 335 to 18 081 t annually from 1995 to 1999.