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: Mycteroperca: Greek, mykter, -eros = nose + Greek, perke = perch (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 30 - 100 m (Ref. 5222), usually 30 - 100 m (Ref. 5222). Subtropical; 40°N - 7°N, 98°W - 64°W (Ref. 5222)

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 107 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 89707); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 3708); max. published weight: 14.2 kg (Ref. 40637); max. reported age: 21 years (Ref. 6846)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-18; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12

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

Western Central Atlantic: Gulf of Mexico and east coast of US from North Carolina to Key West and along the southern shore of the Caribbean Sea. Juveniles are occasionally found as far north as Massachusetts.

Found over ledges and high-relief rocky bottoms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico; at low-profile bottoms at depths of 30 to 100 m in North Carolina; this species was the most abundant grouper in areas of living Oculina coral formations at depths of 70 to 100 m off the east coast of Florida. This species apparently moved inshore when bottom temperature fell below 8.6°C. Juveniles found in shallow water at jetties and in mangrove areas.

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)

Least Concern (LC) , IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes

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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=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), b=0.00000 (0.00000 - 0.00000), based on (Ref. 93245).

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.8 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.09-0.17; tmax=21).

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High to very high vulnerability (68 of 100) .

Price category (Ref. 80766): Very high.

Mycteroperca phenax Jordan & Swain, 1884