Dive sites2
Marine life profile
Pork fish
Recorded at 2 dive sitesWhere divers encounter it
Explore Pork fish around the world
Anisotremus virginicus, the porkfish, also known as the Atlantic porkfish, sweetlips, dogfish, or paragrate grunt, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunt belonging to the family Haemulidae. It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Countries2
Animal groupReef Fish
Safety profileGenerally Harmless
Meet the species
What to look for
How to Recognize It
Use body shape, fin outline, color pattern and swimming style to separate it from the surrounding reef community.
How It Behaves
It follows a daily rhythm of feeding, sheltering and interacting with rivals, partners or a larger school.
Special Ability
Precise fins and a body shaped for its niche let it turn, hover or accelerate exactly where food and shelter demand.
Dive responsibly
Share the water well
How to Approach
Move slowly at the same depth, avoid swimming directly at it and let the fish resume its normal behavior.
Safety
Usually safe to observe at a respectful distance. Never feed, corner or touch a fish, especially near nests or cleaning stations.
Worth knowing
The detail you remember
Interesting Facts
It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean.
Where to Find
Look around coral structure, rocky reef, wrecks and current lines where shelter and food meet.
Known countries
MexicoPanama
Sightings map
Pork fish locations
Plan a dive
Dive sites with reported encounters
Aquarium
Mexico
Intermediate site. 47 feet maximum depth. No decent line. Also know as Jardines or finger reef, this site is expansive with many routs through its riches of life. Mini canons (fingers) of coral where you can drop down out of the current and be surrounded by healthy reef, but good buoyancy control is key. Large schools of pork fish and grunts, eels, rays and sometimes turtles can be seen here.
Bouy Line
Panama
There is a beautiful sunken Trimaran next to a reef with healthy corals and sponges. You can see nurse sharks, rays, moray eels and the most varied reef fish.