(DRAFT) - Taxonomy
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
TAXONOMY
NAME - grouper, red
OTHER COMMON NAMES - red grouper
ELEMENT CODE -
CATEGORY - Fish
PHYLUM AND SUBPHYLUM - Chordata,
CLASS AND SUBCLASS - Osteichthyes,
ORDER AND SUBORDER - Perciformes,
FAMILY AND SUBFAMILY - Serranidae,
GENUS AND SUBGENUS - Epinephelus,
SPECIES AND SSP - morio,
SCIENTIFIC NAME - Epinephelus morio
AUTHORITY - Valenciennes, 1828
TAXONOMY REFERENCES - 200
Taxonomy - 1 (DRAFT) - Status
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
STATUS
Coded Status
Sport Fish
REFERENCES FOR STATUS - 200
COMMENTS ON STATUS -
The red grouper is one of the most abundant of the 17 species of grouper
caught by the commercial and recreational fishermen.*200*
Status - 1 (DRAFT) - Distribution
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
DISTRIBUTION
Distribution - 1 HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS
NATIONAL WETLAND INVENTORY CODES
NWI NWICLS NWIMOD NWISPEC
Marine RB.
Marine RB2
Marine RF.
Marine RB.
Estuarine AB3
REFERENCES FOR NWI - 200
COMMENTS ON HABITAT ASSOCIATIONS -
Like most species of groupers, the black, red and Nassau groupers are
secretive, occupying caves, ledges and crevices on reefs and shipwrecks.
The larger fish generally occupy the lower part of the depth range.*200*
The red grouper occurs mainly over rocky bottoms, but also lives over muddy
bottoms. In the eastern Gulf of Mexico it has been reported as occurring
only over rocky reef bottoms at depths of 3 to 122 m, frequently occupying
crevices, ledges, and caverns in limestone reefs. Juveniles may be widely
dispersed over hard bottoms at depths of at least 37 m, being extremely
cryptic and thus relatively invulnerable to most collecting gear. Fish 1
to 6 years old (under 50 cm SL) commonly inhabit nearshore reefs. It has
been reported to depths of 189 m, at bottom temperatures from 15 to 30
degrees C, but most are collected at 19 to 25 degrees C.*200*
Habitat Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Food Habits
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
FOOD HABITS
TROPHIC LEVEL -
CARNIVORE
REFERENCES FOR TROPHIC LEVEL - 200
LIFESTAGE FOOD FOOD PART
General Crustaceans Not Specified
General Squid, Octopus Not Specified
General Fish Not Specified
Juvenile Plankton Not Applicable
REFERENCES FOR GENERAL FOOD - 200
REFERENCES FOR JUVENILE FOOD - 200 and 202
COMMENTS ON FOOD -
All the groupers are carnivorous, feeding mainly on fishes, larger
crustaceans, and occasionally on cephalopods.*202*
Groupers tend to feed in an ambush mode. They often lurk within shelters or
rest motionless on the substrate until their prey venture close enough to be
captured with a quick lunge and rapid ingestion through expansion of their
large mouths. They also forage in caves, cracks, crevices, and other
openings within reefs and rock masses, sucking benthic invertebrates out of
hiding with a similar oral action. It is not surprising then that fish in
grouper diets are often demersal species rather than wide-ranging, schooling
pelagics.*202*
COMMENTS ON JUVENILE FOOD -
Many studies report some change in proportion of various food items-- eg.,
consumption of more fish and less crustaceans with increasing age. There is
evidence that snappers and groupers eat other snappers and groupers. The
prey are usually rather young stages, but predation on adults does
occur.*202*
Food Habits - 1 (DRAFT) - Environment Associations
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
G = General A = Adult
LIM = Limiting RA = Resting Adult
J = Juvenile FA = Feeding Adult
RJ = Resting Juvenile BA = Breeding Adult
FJ = Feeding Juvenile P = Pupae
L = Larvae E = Egg
RL = Resting Larvae
FL = Feeding Larvae
LIFESTAGE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS
FJ Bottom Type [Aquatic]: Rooted aquatic vegetation
G Water Depth Preference: Specified in Comments
G Coastal Features: Reefs
REFERENCES FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 200
REFERENCES FOR FEEDING JUVENILE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ - 200
COMMENTS ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOCIATIONS -
Most grouper species apparently migrate vertically as they grow, the larger
fish living at progressively greater depths. However, adult groupers may
stay in the vicinity of specific reefs for long periods. The red grouper
occurs mainly over rocky bottoms, but also lives over muddy bottoms. In
the eastern Gulf of Mexico it has been reported as occurring only over
rocky reef bottoms at depths of 3 to 122 m, frequently occupying crevices,
ledges, and caverns in limestone reefs.*200*
COMMENTS ON RESTING JUVENILE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSOC_ -
Juvenile red grouper may be widely dispersed over hard bottoms at depths of
at least 37 m, being extremely cryptic and thus relatively invulnerable to
most collecting gear. Fish 1 to 6 years old (under 50 cm SL) commonly
inhabit nearshore reefs. It has been reported to depths of 189 m, at
bottom temperatures from 15 to 30 degrees C, but most are collected at 19
to 25 degrees C.*200*
Environment Associations - 1 (DRAFT) - Life History
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
LIFE HISTORY
Morphology:
This grouper can be distinguished from other species of the genus
Epinephelus by its dorsal fin, in which the second spine is the longest and
the interspinous membrane is not notched. The red grouper differs from
Mycteroperca species in having a less elongated body, and in having nine
soft anal-fin rays. The red grouper differs from other serranids in having
a more robust body, having the bases of the dorsal and anal fins covered by
scales and thick skin, and having 11 dorsal fin spines.*200*
Coloration:
This grouper has one of the most variable color patterns among fishes. The
body generally is uniformly brownish red with a lighter ventral coloration
and a transient pattern of whitish spots. While inactive it may have a
banded pattern that matches its surroundings and is similar to that of the
Nassau grouper.*200*
Sex reversal and spawning:
Red groupers change from female to male between the ages of 5 and 10 years,
at a rate of about 15% annually. The transition occurs at any length
greater than about 275 mm SL, but is most common after 500 mm SL is reached.
Females are mature at 4-6 years, but reach their greatest reproductive
potential at 8-12 years of age. Males do not compose more than 10% of a
year class until after age 9 (over 500 mm SL), and the sex ratio is not
equal until about age 15, or 625 mm SL. Males are reproductively
significant in the population in age groups 10 years old and older. Female
red groupers usually do not spawn until they are about 450 mm SL. Off the
west coast of Florida, spawning peaks in April and May in waters 20-90 m
deep and at water temperatures between 19 and 21 degrees C. Gondadal
activity has been observed as early as January, and culminates in spawning
in late spring. The only environmental factor that correlates significantly
with gonadal development is photoperiod. The distribution of grouper larvae
is poorly known. Larval red grouper probably leave the plankton and become
benthic at about 20-25 mm SL. Juvenile red groupers do not wander far away
from their reefs of residence and are scattered in low densities over hard
bottoms in water at least 36 m deep, where they are difficult to collect due
to their cryptic behavior. Juvenile red groupers are "exact miniatures" of
the adults in form and color, and they were often collected in seagrass beds
in water shallower than 15 m.*200*
REFERENCES FOR LIFE HISTORY- 200
Life History - 1 (DRAFT) - Management Practices
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
MANAGEMENT PRACTICES
RESULT MANAGEMENT PRACTICE
Beneficial Providing artificial nesting/spawning sites
Beneficial Regulating harvest - setting size limits
Existing Regulating commercial harvest gear types
REFERENCES FOR BENEFICIAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 200
REFERENCES FOR EXISTING MANAGEMENT PRACTICES - 200 and 202
COMMENTS ON MANAGEMENT PRACTICES -
The minimum size for any species (including species such as scamp and gag)
is 18 inches total length. New gear restrictions prohibit use of longline
nets and stab nets (also called sink nets) off the Atlantic coast of
Florida.
Artificial reef programs designed to improve recreational fishing in the
ocean have become popular in recent years; most activity in United States
waters has been in Florida. Artificial reefs consisting of a wide variety
of materials, ranging from abandoned vessels to designed and prefabricated
structures and even junk (debris, large appliances, etc.), have been placed
on the coasts of Florida (greatest activity has been in Dade County). A
controvery exists as to the best depths for artificial reefs. Among the
recreational fishermen, there seems to be a consensus favoring water about
73 m deep, where diving and spearfishing are discouraged and reefs tend to
attract large fish. The long-term effect of artificial reef placement would
seem to be that recreational catches of groupers would improve, perhaps in
some proportion to the numbers and kinds of artificial reefs installed. It
is not known if artificial reefs increase fish populations or just
redistribute them.*200*
Management Practices - 1 (DRAFT) - References
Species grouper, red
Species Id M010411
Date 27 AUG 96
References
200 * Jory, Darryl, Iverson, Edwin. 1989. Species Profiles: Life
Histories and Environmental Requirements of Coastal Fishes and
Invertebrates (South Florida)--Black, Red and Nassau Groupers.
Fish and Wildlife Species Profiles 82(11.110) (ed.). Fish and
202 * Polovina, Jeffrey (Ed.) and Stephen Ralston (Ed.). 1987.
Tropical Snapper and Groupers: Biology and Fisheries Management.
Polovina, J. and Ralston, S. (ed.). Westview Press Boulder, CO
and London, England:659.
191 * South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. 1988. Amendment
Number 1 and Environmental Assessment and Regulatory Impact
Review To The Fishery Management Plan For The Snapper Grouper
Fishery of The South Atlantic Region. (ed.):46.
References - 1