{{Short description|Species of fish}} {{Speciesbox | name = Sailor's grunt | image = Haemulon parra 220123 a.jpg | image_caption = [[Bayahíbe]], [[Dominican Republic]] | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{Cite journal |last=IUCN |date=2011-03-01 |title=Haemulon parra: Anderson, W., Claro, R., Cowan, J., Lindeman, K., Padovani-Ferreira, B., Robertson, R., Rocha, L.A. & Sedberry, G.: The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2015: e.T194421A115336482 |url=http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/194421/0 |journal=IUCN Red List |language=en |doi=10.2305/iucn.uk.2015-4.rlts.t194421a2334040.en |doi-access=free |access-date=2023-07-08 |archive-date=2018-06-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180601211509/http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/194421/0 |url-status=live }}</ref> | taxon = Haemulon parra | authority = ([[Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest|Desmarest]], 1823) | synonyms = * ''Diabasis parra'' Desmarest, 1823 * ''Haemulon parrai'' (Desmarest, 1823) }}
'''''Haemulon parra''''', also known by the common names '''sailor's grunt''' and '''sailor's choice''', is a species of [[Haemulidae|grunt]] native to the [[Atlantic Ocean]].
==Taxonomy== ''Haemulon parra'' was described in 1823 by [[Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest]]. Its genus name comes from the [[Greek language|Greek]] ''haimaleos'', meaning "bloody."<ref name="fishbase">{{Cite web |title=Haemulon parra, Sailor's grunt |url=https://www.fishbase.se/summary/1139 |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=[[FishBase]]}}</ref> The specific epithet is a [[Latin]] word for "[[Old World sparrow|sparrow]]."
==Description== This species has a dull head with a medium-to-small-sized mouth. It does not have fleshy lips, and a part of the eye near the back is covered by scales. Its chin has two small openings and one furrow in the middle. The eye's edges are commonly either yellow or bronze. In color, adults are a mixture of silver and grey covered with dotted black stripes running laterally. Juveniles have four black stripes over white and a spot on their tail fin. The maximum length recorded is {{cvt|41.2|cm|in}}.<ref name="smithsonian">{{Cite web |title=Shorefishes - The Fishes - Species |url=https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/3726 |access-date=2023-07-08 |website=Smithsonian |archive-date=2023-07-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230708045913/https://biogeodb.stri.si.edu/caribbean/en/thefishes/species/3726 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Distribution== ''Haemulon parra'' is found in the Western [[Atlantic Ocean]], from [[Florida]] to [[Brazil]], also entering the [[Gulf of Mexico]].<ref name="fishbase"/>
==Behavior== The sailor's grunt prefers reefs and hard bottoms, and resides in depths from {{cvt|0-80|m|ft}}. Juveniles are more attracted to [[seagrass]] beds.<ref name="smithsonian"/> Adults are known to school and can be seen in more open areas.
It feeds at night, eating mollusks and fish.<ref name="fishbase"/>
==Human use== It is sometimes fished commercially, although the market is minor. ''H. parra'' can be also found in aquariums.
==Conservation== ''Haemulon parra'' was evaluated by the [[International Union for Conservation of Nature]] in March 2011, which placed it as [[Least-concern species|Least Concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]].<ref name="iucn"/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q968535}}
[[Category:Haemulidae]] [[Category:Fish described in 1823]] [[Category:Taxa named by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest]]