Smallspotted grunter

Pomadasys commersonnii, the smallspotted grunter, is a species of ray-finned fish, a grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It is native to the brackish and marine waters of the western Indian Ocean.

Habitat

Pomadasys commersonnii occurs in shallow coastal waters and estuaries. They spawn at sea and the juveniles settle in estuarine habitats which are used as nursery areas. The adults will also migrate into estuaries from the sea to feed. This species can tolerate freshwater. It feeds on benthic invertebrates such as crustaceans, worms and small bivalves, which it can expose by jetting water into the mud using its mouth. It is an oviparous species, forming distinct pairs to spawn.

Distribution

Pomadasys commersonnii is found in the western Indian Ocean. It occurs along the eastern coast of Africa from the Gulf of Aden to Cape Point in South Africa, Madagascar and along the Asian coast from Yemen to the Arabian Sea coast of India.