Common names
Barred javelin, Spotted Grunter, Grunter, Grunter Bream, Javelin Grunt, Queensland Trumpeter, Spotted Grunter-bream, Spotted Javelinfish, Spotted Javelin-fish, Trumpeter, Yellow-finned Javelin Fish, Yellow-finned Javelin-fish
Javelin grunter
Pomadasys kaakan
- Saltwater
- Least concern
Max length31.5 in
Common length19.75 in
Length typeTotal Length
Max Depth246 ft
Water typeSaltwater
Fish info
IUCN Vulnerability status
Short description
Javelin grunter have blunt heads which have a convex upper profile and small mouth which has brushlike bands of teeth on their jaws. There are two pores and a central pit on the chin. The juveniles are bright silvery green dorsally, golden silver on the flanks and silvery white on the underparts, there are no fewer than 12 indistinct vertical bars which are made up of small dark brown spots or irregular blotches. The dorsal fin has blackish-brown spots on the basal part of its spiny portion and there are three rows of spots on the soft-rayed part which has a dark margin while the lower tip of the caudal fin is milky. The adults are plain golden green dorsally and silver ventrally with the bars and dorsal fin spots being indistinct or absent.
Habitat
Found in turbid waters near the coast where the substrate consists of sand or mud. They will enter estuarine environments, and they may be able tolerate water with low salinity. Frequently found in and around inshore shipwrecks. They are also known from coral and rocky reefs.
Distribution
Found in the Indo-Pacific. It ranges along the eastern coast of Africa from the Red Sea to the Eastern Cape, along the southern coast of Asia, including the Persian Gulf, to China and Taiwan and along the northern coasts of Australia from Exmouth Gulf in Western Australia to Moreton Bay in Queensland.
Behaviour
They spawn in shoals near river mouths during the winter. They are oviparous and form distinct pairs to spawn. Their diet is largely crustaceans, and they are known to feed on fishes, molluscs, brittle stars and algae.
Edibility
Javelin Grunter is an excellent eating fish! The soft white meat tastes great baked, fried, or breaded.
Lure suggestion
Smaller presentations of prawns and baitfish (soft plastics) are the go-to when fishing for grunter. Good bait (small live baits as well as soft dead baits): squid, sea lice, sardine fillet, sardine head, herring, mullet, prawn and shrimp.