Black grunter (Hephaestus carbo)

Scientific name: Hephaestus carbo Ogilby & McCulloch, 1916

Black grunter (Hephaestus carbo)

The Black grunter (Hephaestus carbo) is a freshwater fish of the family Terapontidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 25–30°C (77–86°F). Native range: Oceania, endemic to Australia.

Black grunter care at a glance

Temperature
25–30°C (77–86°F)

Biology

Adults occur in lentic and lotic freshwater. They inhabit clear, rapid streams (sometimes very small creeks) flowing over sand and mud; also in rocky pools. Prefer the upper reaches of coastal drainages. Water temperatures are always above 15?C. Feed on crustaceans (especially prawns) and small fishes. Spawning in the wild has been recorded in November and probably continues through to early autumn (March). Eggs are guarded and fanned by the male parent. Sexual maturity is reached at a size of about 13 centimeters. Juvenile coal grunter is attractive and popular in the aquarium hobby. Closely related and nearly identical in appearance to H. raymondi from south-western Papua New Guinea.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Hephaestus carbo
Family
Terapontidae (Grunters or tigerperches)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
33.0
Environment
Freshwater; benthopelagic
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Oceania: endemic to Australia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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