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Epinephelus mystacinus (Poey, 1852)
MISTY GROUPER
Life   Vertebrata   Fish   Serranidae   Epinephelus



Epinephelus mystacinus
© Copyright Photographer/SFTEP, 2002 · 0
Epinephelus mystacinus

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Epinephelus mystacinus
www.fao.org Copyright Michel Lamboeuf · 0
Epinephelus mystacinus

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IDnature guides
Overview
Main identification features
  • tan + ~9 bars, last thick and dark
  • dorsal fin xi
  • dark oblique stripes behind eye
Body robust, compressed; end of top jaw exposed; operculum edge with 3 flat spines; preoperculum without spines; dorsal fin with XI spines, 14-15 rays; anal fin with III spines, 9 rays; lateral line complete, ending at tail base, smoothly arched; large eyes; pelvics shorter than pectoral, inserted under pectoral base; 14-16 rakers on first gill arch; scales rough, small, 99-112 lateral scales; tail rounded.

Chocolate brown with pale spots and 9-10 dark bars on head and body, those on body extending onto dorsal and anal fins, last one on tail base widest and darkest; 3 oblique dark stripes on side of head -1 along top of upper jaw and on cheek, 2 behind eye and on operculum.

Size: 100 m.

Habitat: rocky reef.

Depth: 20-400 m.

A neotropical species; in the eastern Pacific known only from the Galapagos.


Attributes

Abundance: Common.

Cites: Not listed.

Climate Zone: Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo).

Depth Range Max: 400 m.

Depth Range Min: 20 m.

Diet: mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs); bony fishes; octopus/squid/cuttlefish.

Eastern Pacific Range: Northern limit=2; Southern limit=-2; Western limit=-93; Eastern limit=-90; Latitudinal range=4; Longitudinal range=3.

Egg Type: Pelagic; Pelagic larva.

Feeding Group: Carnivore.

FishBase Habitat: Bathydemersal.

Global Endemism: New world (East Pacific + West Atlantic); East Pacific + Atlantic (East +/or West); Transisthmian (East Pacific + Atlantic of Central America); TEP non-endemic; All species.

Habitat: Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom); Rocks; Reef (rock &/or coral); Reef only.

Inshore Offshore: Inshore; Inshore Only.

IUCN Red List: Not evaluated / Listed.

Length Max: 100 cm.

Regional Endemism: Island (s) only; Island (s); Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) non-endemic; Eastern Pacific non-endemic; All species.

Residency: Resident.

Salinity: Marine; Marine Only.

Water Column Position: Bottom; Bottom only;

Names
Scientific source:
Links to other sites


References
  • Heemstra , P.C. and Randall, J.E., 1993., 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. FAO Species Catalogue Vol. 16., FAO Fish. Synop. No 125, 125:I-viii, 1-382.
  • Jordan , D.S. and Evermann, B.W., 1896., The fishes of North and Middle America: a descriptive catalogue of the species of fish-like vertebrates found in the waters of North America, north of the Isthmus of Panama. Part I., Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., 47:1-1240.
  • Meek , S.E. and Hildebrand, S.F., 1925., The marine fishes of Panama. Part II., Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser. Publ., XV:331-707.
  • Molina, L., Danulat, E., Oviedo, M., González, J.A., 2004., Guía de especies de interés pesquero en la Reserva Marina de Galápagos., Fundación Charles Darwin / Agencia Espeñola de Cooperación Internacional / Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, 115pp.
  • Poey, F., 1852., Memorias sobre la historia natural de la Isla de Cuba, acompañadas de sumarios Latinos y extractos en Francés. La Habana., Mem. Hist. Nat. Cuba, 1:1-463.


Acknowledgements

I thank Ashley MacDonald and John Pickering, University of Georgia, for technical support in building this page.


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