Grunts, grunters, sweetlips, rubberlips and hotlips are the common names used for the members of Haemulidae (Pomadasyidae) family. They occur in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. They are mainly saltwater fishes but can also occur in brackish and freshwater. They are recognized by having a single continuous dorsal fin of 9-14 spines and 11-26 soft rays. They are commonly called grunts, due to their ability to produce loud sounds by rubbing their pharyngeal teeth together.
Grunts are typically inactive during day when they shelter near or under ledges. They feed mostly at dawn or dusk, moving out to feed on open sandy bottoms.
Haemulidae are divided into two subfamilies, Haemulinae and Plectorhynchinae (Sweetlips). These two groups differ greatly in diversity and distribution. Haemulinae which include most of the genera, are diverse in shape, ecology, and habitat. They have different feeding modes and prey items, and can occur from temperate reefs, coral reefs, sandy to muddy bottoms. Sweetlips are morphologically uniform, with an elongated body, a round head, and a subterminal mouth. Their colour and pattern change dramatically throughout their lives.
There are 19 genera and about 132 species of Haemulidae worldwide. Malaysia has 5 genera and 28 species of Haemulidae. There are 17 species of sweetlips and 11 species of grunters (Haemulinae from the Pomadasys genus only).
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Scientific Name: Pomadasys auritus (Cuvier, 1830) English Name: Longhead Grunt, Longhead Grunter Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 石鲈鱼 (Shí lú yú), 石炉鱼 (Shí lú yú), 金石鲈 (Jīn shí lú) Local Malay Name: Gerut-gerut Emas,, Gegerut, Gerut-gerut, Tebal Pipi Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาครืดคราดเกล็ดใหญ่ (Plā khrụ̄d khrād kel̆d yai) Local Hokkien: Jiok Tau Lor Main Identification Features: Head large. Gill cover long, extend pass pectoral fin axil. Body colour silvery to light burnished gold. Size: Maximum total length about 52 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Estuaries to coastal waters. Feeds on small fishes, worms and crustaceans.    Scientific Name: Pomadasys kaakan (Cuvier, 1830) English Name: Javelin Grunter, Javelin Grunt Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 石鲈鱼 (Shí lú yú), 石炉鱼 (Shí lú yú), 白鰽 (Bái qiú), 镖石鲈 (Biāo shí lú), 点石鲈 (Diǎn shí lú) Local Malay Name: Ikan Gerut, Gerut-gerut Ompakan, Gegerut, Celek Mata, Akuhut, Gorat-gorat Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาครืดคราด (Plā khrụ̄d khrād), ปลาออดแอดขาว (Plā xxdxæd k̄hāw) Local Hokkien: Gu Hud, Jiok Lor, Pek Cho Local Teochew: Pek Cho Main Identification Features: Upper head profile convex. 7 scales between lateral line and dorsal-fin origin. 20 scales around caudal peduncle. Size: Maximum total length about 80 cm, commonly to 45 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Estuaries to coastal waters, to 75 m depth. Feeds on crustaceans and fishes.   Scientific Name: Pomadasys maculatus (Bloch, 1793) English Name: Saddle Grunter, Saddle Grunt Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 石鲈鱼 (Shí lú yú), 石炉鱼 (Shí lú yú), 白鰽 (Bái qiú), 大斑石鲈 (Dà bān shí lú) Local Malay Name: Ikan Gerut, Gerut-gerut Sebokah, Gegerut, Celek Mata, Akuhut, Gorat-gorat Thai Name | ชื่อสามัญภาษาไทย: ปลาสร้อยนกเขา (Plā s̄r̂xynk k̄heā), ปลาออดแอดลาย (Plā xxdxæd lāy) Local Hokkien: Gu Hud, Jiok Lor, Pek Cho Local Teochew: Pek Cho Main Identification Features: Nape and back with large, elongate, but incomplete dark blotches. Spinous part of dorsal fin with a large black blotch. Dorsal and caudal fins with dark edge. Size: Maximum total length about 50 cm, commonly to 15 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Estuaries to coastal waters, 20 to 110 m depth. Feeds on crustaceans and fishes.    Scientific Name: Pomadasys unimaculatus Tian, 1982 English Name: Red Patched Grunter Mandarin Name | 鱼类中文名: 石鲈鱼 (Shí lú yú), 石炉鱼 (Shí lú yú), 白鰽 (Bái qiú), 单斑石鲈 (Dān bān shí lú) Local Malay Name: Gerut-gerut Pelana, Gegerut, Akuhut, Gorat-gorat Local Hokkien: Gu Hud, Jiok Lor, Pek Cho Local Teochew: Pek Cho Main Identification Features: Nape with a large dark brown blotch. Four small faintly dark semicircular patches on upper half of body. Spinous part of dorsal fin with a dark red blotch. Size: Maximum total length about 25 cm. Habitat and Ecology: Estuaries and inshore waters, to 40 m depth. Feeds on crustaceans, worms and fishes. 
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