Any one of several species of American food fishes, of the
   genus Haemulon, allied to the snappers, as, the black grunt (A.
   Plumieri), and the redmouth grunt (H. aurolineatus), of the Southern
   United States; -- also applied to allied species of the genera
   Pomadasys, Orthopristis, and Pristopoma. Called also pigfish, squirrel
   fish, and grunter; -- so called from the noise it makes when taken.