Sub-adult Florida Grunt Can't Figure Out

[archman]

My research site in West Palm Beach has a lot of these sub-adult grunts. I am having difficulty reliably identifying them. They share features with both bluestriped grunts (one of which is on right of frame), and caesar grunts. What keeps borking the Caesar ID is that these fish seem to never have the diagnostic dark anal fins. The lower fins are always clear looking, as far as I can tell.

Any assistance would be great. I get a lot of sub-adult fishes at this site close in to the beach... grunts, snappers, chubs, porgies, parrots.

 

[Pelagicsal]

What's the hang up on the blue stripe grunt ID?
Low lighting keeps me from seeing blue, but the markings and fins look right...

 

[Full Circle]

My research site in West Palm Beach has a lot of these sub-adult grunts. I am having difficulty reliably identifying them. They share features with both bluestriped grunts (one of which is on right of frame), and caesar grunts. What keeps borking the Caesar ID is that these fish seem to never have the diagnostic dark anal fins. The lower fins are always clear looking, as far as I can tell.

Any assistance would be great. I get a lot of sub-adult fishes at this site close in to the beach... grunts, snappers, chubs, porgies, parrots.

There is one Bluestripped grunt at the lower right (yellow anal fin), all others are Caesar grunts.

 

[archman]

Heh. Yeah, every fish watcher I talk to will either be quite confident in saying...

1. "This is definitely a bluestriped grunt"
2. "This is definitely a caesar grunt"

Personally, I have been leaning with the Caesar's, but the light-colored anal fin is a problem. According to Humann, it is supposed to be quite darkly shaded for this species. But when I browse the internet, there are oodles of "caesar grunt" pictures where the anal fin is only a little dark, yellowish, or clear like my critters.

And then there's this resource, which says that "Their anal, pectoral, and pelvic fins are transparent and their caudal fin is dark."
Caesar Grunt | Mexico Fish, Flora & Fauna

 

[Full Circle]

I too have photos of H. melanorum with light to yellowish anal fin, but then my photos are sharp and well lit making it easy to see the other details of the fish.

 

[archman]

Here are a few more pics from another trip out there today.

 

[Full Circle]

I do think you got all those ID’d correctly.
The Caesar will have very distinct yellow/gold lines without any blue lines like the Bluestriped has.

Shorefishes - Find a Fish - Compare Images of Fishes