Terapon jarbua

Three Stripes Tiger Grouper ( TERAPON jarbua )

The Three Stripes Tiger Grouper ( TERAPON jarbua ), also bow stripes tiger grouper or grunting called Tiger Grouper, is a marine fish of the family of Grunzbarsche ( Terapontidae ), the Indo-Pacific from the east coast of Africa and the South African Cape Province to the southern Japan and the nordaustralische Arafura Sea occurs to Lord Howe Island, and in the Red Sea.

Features

The Three Stripes Tiger Grouper reaches a maximum length of 36 cm, but usually remains at a length of 25 cm. His body is gray - silvery, the neck is yellow green dark. The sides of the body shimmer slightly purple. Three or four curved, dark brown bands extend from neck to tail, with the lowest runs until the middle of the caudal fin. These bands are apparent in juveniles and fade with age. The fins are transparent, the tips of the dorsal fin black, the tail fin banded black. On the gill cover there is a strong sting, which is often colored slightly brass-colored. Like all Grunzbarsche, the Three Stripes Tiger Grouper produce sounds by means of the air-bladder.

• Fins formula: Dorsal XI-XII/9-11, Anal III/7-10.
• Dandruff formula: MLR 80-90.

Way of life

The Three Stripes Tiger Grouper lives in loose groups in depths from 20 to 350 meters above the flat sandy soils in the vicinity of river mouths and climbs up the rivers. It feeds on small fish, sand-dwelling invertebrates, insects and algae. The fish spawn in the sea. The eggs are laid on stones and guarded by the male. After 24 hours, the fast-growing young fish hatch. You walk up the rivers.