Terapontidae

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, insects and other invertebrates.

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 trumpeter, Amniataba caudavittata (Richardson, 1845).
  • Barred grunter, Amniataba percoides (Günther, 1864).
• Genus Bidyanus
  • Silver Perch or Bidyan perch, Bidyanus bidyanus (Mitchell, 1838).
• Genus Hannia
  • Greenway's grunter, Hannia greenwayi Vari, 1978.
• Genus Hephaestus
  • Adamson's grunter, Hephaestus adamsoni (Trewavas, 1940).
  • Hephaestus carbo (Ogilby & McCulloch, 1916).
  • Long-nose sooty grunter, Hephaestus epirrhinos Vari & Hutchins, 1978.
  • Sooty grunter, 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 grunter, Hephaestus trimaculatus (Macleay, 1883).
• Genus Lagusia
  • Lagusia micracanthus (Bleeker, 1860).
• Genus Leiopotherapon
  • Fortescue grunter, Leiopotherapon aheneus (Mees, 1963).
  • Large-scale grunter, Leiopotherapon macrolepis Vari, 1978.
  • Leiopotherapon plumbeus (Kner, 1864).
  • Spangled perch, Leiopotherapon unicolor (Günther, 1859).
• Genus Mesopristes
  • Silver grunter, Mesopristes argenteus (De vis, 1884).
  • Tapiroid grunter, Mesopristes cancellatus (Cuvier, 1829).
  • Plain terapon, Mesopristes elongatus (Guichenot, 1866).
  • Mesopristes iravi Yoshino, Yoshigou & Senou, 2002.
• Genus Pelates
  • Western striped trumpeter, Pelates octolineatus (Jenyns, 1840).
  • Fourlined terapon, Pelates quadrilineatus (Bloch, 1790).
  • Six-lined trumpeter, Pelates sexlineatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825).
• Genus Pelsartia
  • Pelsartia humeralis (Ogilby, 1899).
• Genus Pingalla
  • 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 (Temminck & Schlegel, 1842).
• Genus Scortum
  • Leathery grunter, Scortum hillii (Castelnau, 1878).
  • Small-headed grunter, Scortum parviceps (Macleay, 1883).
• Genus Syncomistes
  • Kimberley grunter, Syncomistes kimberleyensis Vari, 1978.
  • Drysdale grunter, Syncomistes rastellus Vari & Hutchins, 1978.
• Genus Terapon
  • Jarbua terapon, Terapon jarbua (Forsskål, 1775).
  • Small-scaled terapon, Terapon puta (Cuvier, 1829).
  • Largescaled therapon, Terapon theraps (Cuvier, 1829).
• Genus Variichthys (formerly Varia)
  • Jamur Lake grunter, Variichthys jamoerensis (Mees, 1971).
  • Lake grunter, Variichthys lacustris (Mees & Kailola, 1977).

References

• Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2006). "Terapontidae" in FishBase. January 2006 version.