May Fish of the Month: Pigfish Orthoprisitis chrysoptera

Dr. Geoffrey Smith

NWFSC Biology Instructor

This month, I’ll be highlighting a species we’ve recently been catching in relatively large numbers during our monitoring of tidal tributaries in Santa Rosa Sound, the Pigfish. Pigfish are commonly found in our region around seagrass beds, limestone outcroppings and the surrounding sandy areas, as well as many human-made structures such as bridge pilings and seawalls.

The Pigfish is a member of the Haemulidae or grunts. Haemulidae is derived from the Greek word haimaleos which means bloody. This is in reference to the dark red or pink pigmentation found in the mouth of many species in this family, although Pigfish are one of the species that does not have this coloration in their mouths (Figure 1). The common name of the family, grunt, is in reference to the grinding or grunting noise that these fish produce by rubbing their pharyngeal (throat) teeth together. This grinding noise is often likened to the snorting of a pig, hence the common name of this month’s highlighted species, Pigfish.

The genus name Orthopristis is derived from the Greek words ortho and pristis meaning straight and saw, and is most likely a reference to the saw-like pharyngeal teeth that are used to grind up their food. The species name chrysoptera is derived from the Greek words khruso and pteron meaning golden and wing or fin in references to the orange to yellow markings on the fins of this species. Pigfish are found in the western Atlantic from New York southward to Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico, and in parts of the Caribbean (Figure 2). Their body coloration varies greatly based on size and habitat. Individuals that are found in clear water over sandy bottoms are nearly white or light gray with few visible markings (Figure 3). Individuals found either in darker water or near seagrass or other structures are often a darker blue-gray coloration with numerous distinct yellow to orange-brown spots (Figure 3). Juveniles that are found in these darker habitats will often have two distinct wide horizontal stripes running along the length of the body with their spots forming thinner stripes above and between the wider stripes (Figure 4).

Pigfish, like most grunts, feed primarily on bottom-dwelling invertebrates such as small crabs, shrimp, worms, and clams. They will often take a mouthful of sand and sift it through their gill rakers, letting the sand fall out and the prey being retained in the throat. The prey are then broken into small pieces by grinding them between the pharyngeal teeth prior to swallowing the prey.

Small Pigfish are commonly used as bait by inshore anglers targeting Red Drum and Spotted Seatrout, while larger individuals are often utilized as bait by offshore anglers targeting various reef fish. Due to their popularity as a baitfish, there has been some research related to the viability of their aquaculture to supply bait shops year-round. And although this species is not often considered as a target for fish for harvest and consumption, larger individuals can make good table fare. In Florida, Pigfish are currently managed as an unregulated species. For smaller, unregulated species, like the Pigfish, the daily bag limit is 100 pounds per person, myfwc.com/unregulated.