Epinephelus chlorostigma, Brownspotted grouper : fisheries

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Epinephelus chlorostigma (Valenciennes, 1828)

Brownspotted grouper
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Epinephelus chlorostigma   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Epinephelus chlorostigma (Brownspotted grouper)
Epinephelus chlorostigma
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Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Serranoidei (Groupers) > Epinephelidae (Groupers)
Etymology: Epinephelus: Greek, epinephelos = cloudy (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Valenciennes.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 4 - 300 m (Ref. 11888). Tropical; 37°N - 34°S, 28°E - 169°W (Ref. 5222)

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

Western Indian Ocean: restricted.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm 27.0, range 23 - 31 cm
Max length : 80.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 89707); common length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450); max. published weight: 7.0 kg (Ref. 4787); max. reported age: 29 years (Ref. 42001)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-18; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Live color whitish, with small dark brown spots on head, body, and fins except ventrally on head, thorax, and lower abdomen. Can assume a transient color phase of 3-4 rows of very large round dark spots on top of the small-spot pattern. 96-125 scales in longitudinal series. Pyloric caeca 26-52 (Ref. 04787); characterized further by having ctenoid body scales, except cycloid scales on nape, thorax, parts of ventral abdomen; body with auxiliary scales; greatest depth of body 2.8-3.3 in SL; truncate to slightly emarginate caudal fin; pelvic fins 1.7-2.4 in head length (Ref. 90102); interorbital slightly convex; preopercle angle rounded, 4-7 enlarged serrae at angle below a slight notch; upper edge of operculum straight; posterior nostril not noticeably larger than anterior nostril; maxilla reaches about to vertical at rear edge of eye; scaly maxilla, low step on posterior part of ventral edge; 2-4 rows of teeth in midlateral part of lower jaw, inner ones about twice the size of outer teeth (Ref. 089707).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Found over a wide range of habitats like seagrass beds and outer reef slopes (Ref. 5213), also on mud bottoms. Solitary (Ref. 90102). Feed on small fishes and crustaceans (mainly stomatopods and crabs). Sexual transition from female to male occurs between 35-45 cm, but not all females change sex. Mature individuals form spawning aggregations (Ref. 55367). E. chlorostigma is closely related and very similar to E. polylepis and E. gabriellae which seem to replace it in the northwestern Indian Ocean. Solitary (Ref. 90102).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Sex change occurs at length of 46.4 cm TL and 3 years of age (Ref. 55367). Also Ref. 6976.

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | 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. (Ref. 5222)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)

  Least Concern (LC) ; Date assessed: 18 November 2016

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: commercial
FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
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Ecology
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Common names
Synonyms
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Predators
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Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Spawning aggregation
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development
Age/Size
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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Fisheries: landings; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 19.1 - 28.2, mean 25.8 °C (based on 1091 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01047 (0.00655 - 0.01674), b=3.03 (2.90 - 3.16), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.0   ±0.67 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.17-0.19; tmax=29; tm=2-3; Fec = 1,014,818).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  High to very high vulnerability (73 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 19.5 [9.1, 41.4] mg/100g; Iron = 0.438 [0.234, 0.879] mg/100g; Protein = 18.6 [17.0, 20.0] %; Omega3 = 0.136 [0.084, 0.221] g/100g; Selenium = 53.6 [30.9, 95.5] μg/100g; VitaminA = 139 [40, 484] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.06 [0.75, 1.49] mg/100g (wet weight);