Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 5 - 40 m (Ref. 5222), usually 5 - 8 m. Tropical; 19°N - 15°N, 79°W - 60°W (Ref. 5222)
Western Central Atlantic: Caribbean coast of Venezuela. Recently reported from the Port Royal reefs off Jamaica indicating that it may be found in other Caribbean localities.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 114 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 32); common length : 60.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 15.0 kg (Ref. 5217)
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12. Distinguished by the following characteristics: pale grayish brown color of adults, juveniles greenish brown with irregular brown spots on the body; soft dorsal and anal fins with white edge and dark submarginal band; depth of body 3.1-3.3 times in SL; distinctly convex interorbital; angular preopercle, enlarged serrae on distinct lobe at the angle; subequal sizes of anterior and posterior nostrils in fish less than 25 cm SL, fish larger than 40 cm SL the posterior nostrils are much larger than anterior ones (Ref. 89707).
Common in depths of 5 to 8 m; large adults are caught in 20 to 40 m; juveniles in shallow water over sandy bottoms near coral reefs and seagrass beds. Marketed fresh.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
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: Version 2024-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00933 (0.00426 - 0.02047), b=3.05 (2.88 - 3.22), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.4 ±0.8 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): High to very high vulnerability (68 of 100).
