Barred grunt (Conodon nobilis)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Eupercaria incertae sedis · Family: Haemulidae · Genus: Conodon.

Accepted name: Conodon nobilis · Authority: (Linnaeus, 1758) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 280386.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Condon nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758); Conodon antillanus Cuvier, 1830; Perca nobilis Linnaeus, 1758.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=280386 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Conodon nobilis. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 31.200000762939453 cm · Common length: 25 cm · Depth range: 1–100 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 27.1 of 100 · Fishery importance: commercial · Aquarium trade: public aquariums.

FishBase notes: Found along sandy shores and over shallow muddy bottoms (Ref. 3798). Adults feed at night on crustaceans and small fishes (Ref. 3798). Marketed fresh (Ref. 3798).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 401) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Conodon-nobilis.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

2,120 georeferenced occurrence records for Conodon nobilis are published through GBIF from 26 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 151 distinct locations from a sample of 2,120 records, omitting 106 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Colombia (917); Brazil (799); Mexico (166); United States of America (91); Honduras (26).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2382784) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2382784&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=280386 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Conodon nobilis (Linnaeus, 1758) as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 194414) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/194414/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2382784) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2382784/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

Conodon nobilis has a relatively robust, elongate, laterally compressed body with a large eye. The upper body is brownish, the abdomen is whitish and there are yellowish horizontal lines along the flanks. They normally show 8 wide dark vertical bars on the back. The soft-rayed part of the dorsal fin, the anal fin and the pelvic fin are yellow. The dorsal fin contains 12 spines and 13 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 7 soft rays. This species attains a maximum total length of 33.6 cm, although 25 cm is more typical.

Conodon nobilis is found in the western Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends from northeastern Florida to the upper Florida Keys and along the coasts of the Gulf of Mexico westwards from Louisiana to the northern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, south through the Caribbean Sea from Hispaniola to Tobago. It is also found along the coast of Central and South American from Mexico south to Argentina.

Conodon nobilis is found at depths down to 100 m. It occurs largely in sandy coastal areas, although it is also found along rocky shores and in brackish and estuarine waters. It mainly uses the surf zone as a nursery instead of estuaries. It feeds at night, mostly on small fishes and crustaceans, mysids being the most important crustaceans in the diet, with amphipods also being important. There appears to be a peak of recruitment into the Spring.

Conodon nobilis was first formally described in 1758 as Perca nobilis by Carolus Linnaeus in the 10th edition of the Systema Naturae. The French anatomist Georges Cuvier (1769-1832) described a species he named Conodon antillanus in 1830, creating a new genus, Conodon, for it. Cuvier's C. antillanus was later shown to be a synonym of Linnaeus's Perca nobilis and, thus, this species is the type species of the genus Conodon. The specific name, nobilis, means "notable", "majestic" or "excellent" but Linnaeus did not explain why he chose this adjective.

Conodon nobilis is a target for the commercial fisheries, the catch being sold fresh. It is also frequently caught as bycatch in other fisheries, for example it is commonly caught in the fishery for shrimp off Mexico and Brazil. It is also a quarry for sports fishing and appears in the aquarium trade. It is caught using seine nets, trawls and hook and line.

Source: Wikipedia: Conodon nobilis — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conodon_nobilis (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.