United States (contiguous states) country information

Common names: Aguaji, Bonaci arara, Grouper
Occurrence: native
Salinity: brackish
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: gamefish: yes;
Comments: Also Ref. 276, 26280, 115025.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/us.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.nmfs.gov
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Badèche de roche, Cuna de piedra, Rock fish, ... more

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Serranoidei (Groupers) > Epinephelidae (Groupers)
Etymology: Mycteroperca: Greek, mykter, -eros = nose + Greek, perke = perch (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Linnaeus.

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

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 2 - 137 m (Ref. 5222), usually 5 - 35 m (Ref. 40849). Subtropical; 35°N - 28°S, 92°W - 33°W (Ref. 5222)

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

Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean south to Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m 53.6, range 50 - 63 cm
Max length : 100.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 26340); common length : 50.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5217); max. published weight: 18.5 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 16; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 10 - 12. Distinguished by the following characteristics: Head and body have oval groups of dark spots; outer third of pectoral fin bright yellow (Ref. 26938); two color morphs: a deep-water reddish form and shallow-water greenish form; depth of body contained 2.9-3.2 times in SL; head length 2.6-2.9 times in SL; convex interorbital area; evenly rounded preopercle or with slight notch, without projecting bony lobe at the angle; nostrils subequal or posterior nostrils with diameter twice the size of anterior nostrils (Ref. 89707).

Adults found on rocky and coral reefs, juveniles occur in shallow turtle grass beds. Also been taken in trawls over mud bottom in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Feeds mainly on fishes (mostly on coral reef species) and squids. Although often implicated in ciguatera poisonings, it is a desirable food fish; and even large (5 to 10 kg) fish from areas considered safe are sold in markets. Also caught with surface trolling. Sex-reversal has been observed (Ref. 5521).

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)

Near Threatened (NT) (A4bd); Date assessed: 12 March 2018

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 4690)

Human uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

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

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators

Ecology
Ecology
Home ranges

Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances

Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics

Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
BRUVS - Videos

Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths

Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)

Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities

Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.

Outreach
Collaborators

Taxonomy
Common names
Synonyms
Morphology
Morphometrics
Pictures

References
References

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 24.3 - 28, mean 27 (based on 310 cells).

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

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01122 (0.00720 - 0.01748), b=3.04 (2.92 - 3.16), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 4.5 ±0.5 se; based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 120179): Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.09-0.17; tmax=15; Fec=400,000).

Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153): High vulnerability (62 of 100).

Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649): Very high vulnerability (86 of 100).

Price category (Ref. 80766): Very high.

Mycteroperca venenosa (Linnaeus, 1758)