Porkfish

The porkfish is the most commonly kept member of the grunt family (Haemulidae) in the aquarium. The adults' body is covered with yellow and silvery-blue horizontal stripes and the fins are yellow; two thick black bands, one running from the nape to the eye and mouth and the other from the front of the dorsal fin to the pectoral fin, give it a striking look. Juveniles are completely different: they carry black horizontal stripes on a silvery background and a black spot at the base of the tail, and they clean parasites from the skin of other fish. Specimens of up to 40 cm have been recorded in the wild; specimens are wild-collected. The name grunt comes from the grunting sound it makes by grinding its pharyngeal teeth when caught.

• At least 600 liters for a single specimen; 1000 liters or more for a small group.
• Salinity specific gravity 1.023–1.026, pH 8.1–8.4, temperature 24–27°C.
• Plenty of swimming space and shaded rock overhangs; strong filtration.
• Reef-safe with caution: It leaves corals alone, but eats shrimp, crabs, snails, mussels and tube worms.

Carnivorous; in the wild it feeds at night on mollusks, echinoderms, worms and crustaceans. Feed twice a day with chopped mussels and shrimp, krill, mysis and granules.

A peaceful and social fish; it is more at ease in small groups of its own kind. Specimens that arrive skittish open up within a few days.

Good companions: Tangs, large angelfish, foxface, large wrasses, squirrelfish, calm triggerfish.

Avoid: Ornamental shrimp and other invertebrates, very aggressive species, small aquariums.