Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets) > Epinephelinae
Etymology: Epinephelus: Greek, epinephelos = cloudy (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 8 - 300 m (Ref. 27000), usually ? - 50 m (Ref. 5222). Subtropical; 54°N - 43°S, 65°W - 58°E (Ref. 5222)

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 47.0 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 150 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12382); max. published weight: 60.0 kg (Ref. 5222); max. reported age: 50 years (Ref. 12382)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions | Faunafri

East and Southwest Atlantic and Western Indian Ocean: East Atlantic: throughout the Mediterranean Sea, and from the southern Bay of Biscaye to southern tip of Africa. Stray specimens reported from the British Isles, and eastern English Channel (Normandy, France; Ref. 92236). Southwest Atlantic: southeastern Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina. Western Indian Ocean: from tip of Africa to southern Mozambique and southern Madagascar. Reported from Oman and La Reunion I.

Prefers rocky bottoms (Ref. 5222). Solitary and territorial (Ref. 12382). Juveniles are found closer to shore (Ref. 48605) in rocky tidal pools (Ref. 48609). Feeds on crabs and octopi; larger individuals feed on a greater proportion of fishes, the majority of which are reef-associated species (Ref. 6842). A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. 55367). Forms spawning aggregations (Ref. 55367). Utilized as a food fish (Ref. 171). Readily caught by anglers (Ref. 5222). Does not adapt well in an aquarium (Ref. 12382).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Heemstra, Phillip C. | Collaborators

Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 16. Groupers of the world (family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. Rome: FAO. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(16):382 p.

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)

Endangered (EN) (A2d), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes

FAO(fisheries: production; publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

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Estimates of some properties based on empirical models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01031 (-0.08024 - 0.10086), b=3.07 (3.00 - 3.13), based on LWR estimates for species & genus-BS (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 3.7 ±0.6 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.03-0.09; tmax=50; tm=5).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High to very high vulnerability (72 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Very high.

Epinephelus marginatus (Lowe, 1834)