Smallmouth Grunt
Haemulon chrysargyreum
Sighting evidence at Cueva de los Peces, Bay of Pigs
Schools of thousands of smallmouth grunts pack the upper sections of the cave, their yellow-striped bodies forming a dense living curtain that parts as divers move through. During the day they rest in these tight schools, relying on collective vigilance for predator detection. At dusk they migrate out of the cave mouth to forage across the adjacent reef, returning before dawn in a commute behaviour that has been observed reliably for years.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Smallmouth Grunt is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.