Species encyclopedia

Porkfish

Anisotremus virginicus

Biology

To defend their territory, porkfish face their aggressors, opening their mouths whose bright red interiors serve as a warning.

Porkfish, also known as « grunts », can make grunting noises by rubbing their pharyngeal teeth together. Those sounds are then amplified by their gas bladder.

Young porkfish act as cleaners for other species, ridding them of their external parasites. They tend to flock to mangroves. The adults feed on invertebrates like worms, molluscs and crustaceans.

This species is reared at La Rochelle Aquarium. More than 300 bred individuals have been placed in the shark pool and now cohabitate with its occupants.

Caribbean

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