Crescent Grunter (Terapon jarbua)

Crescent Grunter (Terapon jarbua)

A school of Crescent Grunters investigating a fallen snake shed in Berlayer Creek.

Family: Terapontidae

Species Name(s): Terapon jarbua

Common Name(s): Crescent Grunter, Target Fish, Spiky Trumpeter, Tiger Perch
Presence in Singapore: Native

Habitat: Freshwater to Marine.
Conservation status: Least Concern (Red Data Book 3)

The Crescent Grunter is a euryhaline fish that can be found in a wide range of salinities from full marine to freshwater. It spawns in saltwater, where juveniles hang out in intertidal zones but also swim up estuaries and rivers alongside adults. This commonly sighted fish can grow to a maximum known length of 36cm but usually average around 25cm. This species' distinctive patterning especially from the top gives it one of its many common names - the Target Fish.

This fish is mostly carnivorous, hunting invertebrates and smaller fish near the bottom but will also eat algae. They are also known ectoparasites, feeding on the scales of larger fishes which makes them horrible community fishes in most aquariums. Commercially, this fish is sold usually fresh or dry and salted.

Adult males guard and fan their eggs. Juveniles are also known to be territorial and establish territories via excavating craters. The name "Grunter" and "Trumpeter" comes from their ability to make noise using their swim bladder, which they use for communication.



References

• FishBase. Terapon jarbua (Fabricius, 1775) – (Jarbua terapon). Retrieved from https://fishbase.se/summary/Terapon_jarbua.html
• Lim, K.K.P. & Low, J.K.Y. 1998. A Guide to Common Marine Fishes of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre, 163 pp. ISBN 981-00-9904-5.
• National Parks Board (NParks). Marine Fishes. Retrieved from https://www.nparks.gov.sg/nature/species-list/marine-fishes.