Hong Kong country information

Common names: Areolate grouper, Green-spotted rock cod, 寶石石斑魚
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993
Importance: commercial | Ref: Lee, C. and Y. Sadovy, 1998
Aquaculture: commercial | Ref: FAO, 1997
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: live export: yes;
Comments: Reported from the Cape D'Aguilar Marine Reserve (Ref. 129329). The species was observed on 11 to 100 occasions during 400 dive surveys on artificial reefs (Ref. 119494). Found in live fish markets (Ref. 27253, 125552). Commonly consumed in Hong Kong (Ref. 125589). Museum: BMNH 1939.1.17.8. Also Ref. 4787, 5222, 94637.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/hk.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Ni, I.-H. and K.-Y. Kwok, 1999
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Mérou aréolé, Mero areolado, لؤز ذو لعوة, ... more

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: Forsskål.

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

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 6 - 200 m (Ref. 2334). Tropical; 35°N - 33°S, 29°E - 180°E (Ref. 5222)

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

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to Natal, South Africa and east to Fiji, north to Japan, south to the Arafura Sea (Ref. 9819) and northern Australia. Recently recorded from Tonga (Ref. 53797). Appears to be absent from Micronesia, Polynesia, and most islands of the western Indian Ocean. Often confused with Epinephelus chlorostigma.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 20.0, range 19 - ? cm
Max length : 47.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 27266); common length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450); max. published weight: 1.4 kg (Ref. 27266); max. reported age: 15 years (Ref. 27352)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: body depth less than head length, 2.7-3.3 in SL (for specimens 14-31 cm SL); head length 2.4-2.8 in SL; D XI,15-17; pectoral rays 17-19 (usually 17-18); body scales ctenoid, cycloid scales on thorax and ventrally on abdomen; body with auxiliary scales; anal fin of adults rounded to slightly angular, longest soft ray 2.0-2.6 in HL; gill rakers of first gill arch 8-10 + 14-16; pyloric caeca 11-17; preopercle with 2-7 enlarged serrae at the angle; upper edge of operculum straight or slightly convex; midlateral part of lower jaw with 2 rows of teeth; lateral-line scales 49-53; caudal fin slightly convex in juveniles, truncate or slightly emarginate in adults. Colour of head, body, and fins pale, covered with numerous close-set brown, brownish yellow or greenish yellow spots (becoming smaller and increase in number as growth increases), the largest about size of pupil, those on front of head smaller than those on operculum; pectoral fins pale, with small dark spots on the rays; posterior edge of caudal fin with a distinct white margin (Ref. 39231, 90102).

Usually found in seagrass beds or on fine sediment bottoms near rocky reefs, dead coral, or alcyonarians (Ref. 5222), in shallow continental shelf waters (Ref. 27353). Juveniles are common at water depths to 80 m (Ref. 6390). Probably spawn during restricted periods and form aggregations when doing so (Ref. 27352). Eggs and early larvae are probably pelagic (Ref. 6390). Feed on fish and benthic invertebrates, primarily prawns and crabs (Ref. 4787, 27354). Caught with hook-and-line, traps, and trawls; common in the markets of Hong Kong, Singapore and probably throughout its range (Ref. 39231).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

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: 25 November 2016

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: commercial

FAO(Aquaculture systems: production; Fisheries: production; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 22.4 - 28.4, mean 26.9 (based on 1165 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01175 (0.00828 - 0.01667), b=3.05 (2.95 - 3.15), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.7 ±0.3 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.31; tm=2; tmax=25; Fec = 22,128).

Prior r = 0.28, 95% CL = 0.19 - 0.42, Based on 2 data-limited stock assessments.

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High vulnerability (59 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Very high.

Epinephelus areolatus (Forsskål, 1775)