Bony fish · Perciformes · Terapontidae

Tiger Perch

Terapon jarbua

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

Terapon jarbua, known as the jarbua terapon, crescent-banded grunter, crescent perch or tiger perch, is a ray-finned fish belonging to the family Terapontidae. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region. It is a species of commercial importance within its range and is occasionally traded for aquariums, where it is known as the target fish because of the pattern visible from above.

Size

15 cm – 36 cm

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

OceanCarnivore Fish Ocean

61countries

Fun facts

The juveniles practise lepidophagy: they approach other fish from behind and tear off scales to eat.
It emits grunts audible out of the water by contracting muscles against its swim bladder, which is why it is called a grunter.
Its curved rather than straight bands tell it apart at a glance from other striped fish of the same area.
The three dark curved bands on its back, shaped like crescent moons, give it its English name, crescent grunter.
Like the rest of the grunters, it makes audible sounds with its swim bladder when taken out of the water.

Life cycle & biology

Habitat & environment: Shallow coastal waters, estuaries and river mouths of the Indo-Pacific
Sexual maturity: Length at first maturity 13 cm (range 9-17 cm)

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terapon_jarbua