Greasy grouper
Species of fish
| Greasy grouper | |
|---|---|
 | |
Conservation status | |
 Data Deficient (IUCN 3.1)[1] | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Subfamily: | Epinephelinae |
| Genus: | Epinephelus |
| Species: | E. tauvina |
| Binomial name | |
| Epinephelus tauvina (Forsskål, 1775) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
| |
The greasy grouper (Epinephelus tauvina), also known as the Arabian grouper or greasy rockcod, is an Indo-Pacific fish species of economic importance belonging to the family Serranidae.[3]
Distribution
The greasy grouper occurs in the Red Sea and along the East African coast, east to the Pitcairn group, north to Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island. It is not common in Fiji, Tonga, or French Polynesia.[1]
Habitat
The species inhabits clear-water areas on coral reefs (at depths to 50 m), although juveniles may venture into reef flats, tidepools, and mangrove estuaries.[1]
Description
Epinephelus tauvina grows up to 75 cm (30 inches) in length.[1] These fish have a wide, upward-facing mouth with rather thick lips. Their heads and bodies are pale greenish grey or brown with round spots, varying from orange-red to dark brown. A group of black spots may be visible on the body at the base of the rear of the dorsal fin. Five vertical darker shaded bars may also be present on their bodies.
It is similar to E. corallicola and E. howlandi, which, however, have shorter bodies and spots less closely spaced.[2]
Due to confusion about identifying species, much of the earlier (particularly before 1984) literature referring to E. tauvina may actually refer to other species of grouper, including Epinephelus coioides, Epinephelus malabaricus and Epinephelus lanceolatus.[1]
Biology
The greasy grouper is a long-lived fish with a very slow growth rate. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite.[4][5] Greasy groupers are top predators on the reef; they mainly feed on small fish and sometimes crustaceans.[1]
Fisheries
The greasy grouper is caught in recreational fisheries (including spearfishing and hook-and-line fishing) and plays a major role in commercial fisheries. It is also found in the aquarium trade.[1] Total production in 2013 was 16,234 tonnes (combined recreational fisheries, commercial fisheries, and aquaculture).[6]
References
Wikispecies has information related to Greasy grouper.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Epinephelus tauvina.
- ^ a b c d e f g Samoilys, M. (2018). "Epinephelus tauvina". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T132758A100559522. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T132758A100559522.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Epinephelus tauvina" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
- ^ IT IS Record
- ^ Arkive
- ^ R. Abu-Hakima Aspects of the reproductive biology of the grouper, Epinephelus tauvina (Forskål), in Kuwaiti waters
- ^ "FAO: FIGIS query for Greasy Grouper total production". FAO - Fisheries and Aquaculture Information and Statistics Branch. Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
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Extant Epinephelinae species (Groupers)
- Alphestes afer
- Alphestes immaculatus
- Alphestes multiguttatus
slender grouper (A. leucogrammicus)
- Rusty hind (C. aitha)
- Blue-Spotted Grouper (C. argus)
- Golden hind (C. aurantia)
- Chocolate hind (C. boenak)
- Graysby (C. cruentata)
- Bluespotted hind (C. cyanostigma)
- Bluelined hind (C. formosa)
- Coney (C. fulva)
- Yellowfin hind (C. hemistiktos)
- Neptune grouper (C. igarashiensis)
- Leopard grouper (C. leopardus)
- Freckled hind (C. microprion)
- Vermillion seabass (C. miniata)
- Niger hind (C. nigri)
- Vermilion hind (C. oligosticta)
- Pacific Graysby (C. panamensis)
- (C. polleni)
- Cephalopholis polyspila
- Six-blotch hind (C. sexmaculata)
- Tomato hind (C. sonnerati)
- Strawberry grouper (C. spiloparaea)
- Blue Spotted Sea Bass | (C. taeniops)
- Darkfin hind (C. urodeta)
Humpback grouper (C. altivelis)
- marbled grouper (D. inermis)
- smooth grouper (D. striolata)
- Areolate grouper (E. areolatus)
- Atlantic goliath grouper (E. itajara)
- Banded grouper (E. amblycephalus)
- Barred-chest grouper (E. faveatus)
- Black-dotted grouper (E. stictus)
- Blacksaddle grouper (E. howlandi)
- Blacktip grouper (E. fasciatus)
- Blue and yellow grouper (E. flavocaeruleus)
- Bridled grouper (E. heniochus)
- Brown-marbled grouper (E. fuscoguttatus)
- Brownspotted grouper (E. chlorostigma)
- Camouflage grouper (E. polyphekadion)
- Catface grouper (E. andersoni)
- Clipperton grouper (E. clippertonensis)
- Cloudy grouper (E. erythrurus)
- Comet grouper (E. morrhua)
- Coral grouper (E. corallicola)
- Dogtooth grouper (E. caninus)
- Dot-dash grouper (E. poecilonotus)
- Dotted grouper (E. epistictus)
- Dungat grouper (E. goreensis)
- Dusky grouper (E. marginatus)
- Duskytail grouper (E. bleekeri)
- Epaulet grouper (E. stoliczkae)
- Foursaddle grouper (E. spilotoceps)
- Giant grouper (E. lanceolatus)
- Goldblotch grouper (E. costae)
- Greasy grouper (E. tauvina)
- Halfmoon grouper (E. rivulatus)
- Highfin grouper (E. maculatus)
- Honeycomb grouper (E. merra)
- Hong Kong grouper (E. akaara)
- Longfin grouper (E. quoyanus)
- Longspine grouper (E. longispinis)
- Longtooth grouper (E. bruneus)
- Malabar grouper (E. malabaricus)
- Maori grouper (E. undulatostriatus)
- Marquesan grouper (E. irroratus)
- Moustache grouper (E. chabaudi)
- Multispotted grouper (E. gabriellae)
- Mystery grouper (E. lebretonianus)
- Nassau grouper (E. striatus)
- Netfin grouper (E. miliaris)
- Oblique-banded grouper (E. radiatus)
- Olive grouper (E. cifuentesi)
- One-blotch grouper (E. melanostigma)
- Orange-spotted grouper (E. coioides)
- Pacific Goliath grouper (E. quinquefasciatus)
- Palemargin grouper (E. bontoides)
- Plump grouper (E. trophis)
- Potato grouper (E. tukula)
- Red grouper (E. morio)
- Red hind (E. guttatus)
- Red-tipped grouper (E. retouti)
- Reticulate grouper (E. tuamotuensis)
- Rock grouper (E. fasciatomaculosus)
- Rock hind (E. adscensionis)
- Saddletail grouper (E. daemelii)
- Seamount grouper (E. suborbitalis)
- Sixbar grouper (E. sexfasciatus)
- Smallscaled grouper (E. polylepis)
- Snubnose grouper (E. macrospilos)
- Somali grouper (E. indistinctus)
- Speckled blue grouper (E. cyanopodus)
- Speckled grouper (E. magniscuttis)
- Speckled hind (E. drummondhayi)
- Spinycheek grouper (E. diacanthus)
- Spotted grouper (E. analogus)
- Starry grouper (E. labriformis)
- Starspotted grouper (E. hexagonatus)
- Striped grouper (E. latifasciatus)
- Striped-fin grouper (E. posteli)
- Summan grouper (E. summana)
- Surge grouper (E. socialis)
- Threespot grouper (E. trimaculatus)
- Tonga grouper (E. chlorocephalus)
- Twinspot grouper (E. bilobatus)
- Wavy-lined grouper (E. undulosus)
- White grouper (E. aeneus)
- White-blotched grouper (E. multinotatus)
- White-dotted grouper (E. polystigma)
- White-edged grouper (E. albomarginatus)
- Whitespotted grouper (E. coeruleopunctatus)
- White-streaked grouper (E. ongus)
- Yellow grouper (E. awoara)
- Yellowspotted grouper (E. timorensis)
- Hyporthodus acanthistius (Rooster hind)
- Hyporthodus darwinensis (Darwin grouper)
- Hyporthodus ergastularius (Sevenbar grouper)
- Hyporthodus exsul (Tenspine grouper)
- Hyporthodus flavolimbatus (Yellowedge grouper)
- Hyporthodus haifensis (Haifa grouper)
- Hyporthodus mystacinus (Misty grouper)
- Hyporthodus nigritus (Warsaw grouper)
- Hyporthodus niphobles (Star-studded grouper)
- Hyporthodus niveatus (Snowy grouper)
- Hyporthodus octofasciatus (Eightbar grouper)
- Hyporthodus perplexus (Puzzling grouper)
- Hyporthodus quernus (Hawaiian grouper)
- Hyporthodus septemfasciatus (Convict grouper)
- Black grouper (M. bonaci)
- Venezuelan grouper (M. cidi)
- Gulf grouper (M. jordani)
- Gag grouper (M. microlepis)
- Sailfin grouper (M. olfax)
- Sawtail grouper (M. prionura)
- Leopard grouper (M. rosacea)
- Mottled grouper (M. rubra)
- Tiger grouper (M. tigris)
- Broomtail grouper (M. xenarcha)
- Yellowfin grouper (M. venenosa)
- Scamp grouper (M. phenax)
- Yellowmouth grouper (M. interstitialis)
- Pacific creole-fish (P. colonus)
- Creole-fish (P. furcifer )
- Plectropomus areolatus
- Plectropomus laevis
- Plectropomus leopardus
- Plectropomus maculatus
- Plectropomus oligacanthus
- Plectropomus pessuliferus
- Plectropomus punctatus
External links
- Photos of Greasy grouper on Sealife Collection
