The black margate is a member of the fish family which includes 'snappers' ('haemulons' or 'gorettes' in French) but, unlike the latter, the lippu has a higher profiled back and a forehead much more inclined to forward. Silver in color, it has a large black mark behind its pectoral fins which range from gray to black. Their scales have in the center a darker part, more or less obvious to see. If they can reach a size of 70cm, most lippus are 35 to 50cm in length. They are found in shallow waters (3 to 20m), even if they happen to be in waters 30 to 35m deep. They usually stand above sandy areas surrounded by holes or small caves where they can take refuge quickly if they feel threatened. They can be seen occasionally in the Florida Keys, the Bahamas and throughout the Caribbean. Most often solitary, they sometimes find themselves in small groups. Feeding at night, their menu includes crustaceans, molluscs and small fish, but also diademed sea urchins. The black margates can be male or female and, like the 'snappers', the fertilization of their eggs takes place in open water. The fertilized eggs then float on the surface according to the currents. Becoming larvae, they integrate into plankton until they can settle on a coral massif where they will grow and live the rest of their lives.