Haemulidae

/hɛˈmjuːlɪdeɪ/ noun

Definition

A family of fish commonly known as grunts, named for the grunting sounds they make; they inhabit marine and brackish waters.

Etymology

From Greek 'haeme' (blood) or possibly an imitative origin relating to sound. Haemulidae is the scientific family name, using Latin nomenclature ending in -idae for fish families.

Kelly Says

Grunt fish have specialized muscles in their pharynx (throat) that let them produce grinding, grunting sounds by rubbing their teeth together—it's acoustic communication underwater, and they're surprisingly loud for their size.

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