Groupers and Sea Basses Codexery

Grouper

Groupers are large, stout-bodied fish important as food and game.

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The largest species, the Atlantic goliath grouper, can weigh 399 kg and reach 2.43 m in length.[1] Groupers possess a robust body and a large mouth, and their physique is not suited for rapid or extended swimming.[1]

Scientific classification

  1. KingdomAnimalia
  2. PhylumChordata
  3. ClassActinopterygii
  4. DivisionTeleostei
  5. OrderPerciformes
  6. FamilyEpinephelidae

Named by Bleeker, 1874

Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Grouper (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Quick Facts

Largest species
Atlantic goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara)
Typical growth rate
about 1 kg (2.2 lb) per year
Testis mass percentage protogynous
1
Testis mass percentage gonochoristic
10

Facts from the source article.

Key facts and history

Groupers are mostly protogynous hermaphrodites, maturing as females and later changing sex.[2] Gonochoristic groupers have larger testes than protogynous ones, about 10% of body mass compared to 1%.[3] Many groupers are important food fish, and unlike most fish, they are usually sold alive in markets.[4] Gonochorism, a condition with separate male and female individuals, has arisen independently in groupers on at least five separate occasions.[5]

What the cited sources add

The Discover Fish account notes that the goliath grouper is totally protected and recognized as "Critically Endangered" by the IUCN.[6] It also states that the oldest verifiable goliath grouper on record is 37 years, though they may live up to 50 years.[6] The same source reports that goliath groupers feed on crustaceans, fishes, octopus, and young sea turtles.[6] A 2011 University of Queensland study found that lionfish numbers were 10 times lower on reefs with many large groupers.[7]

The study's lead researcher, Professor Mumby, cautioned that overfishing means large grouper densities are low throughout most of the Caribbean.[7] That same source states that groupers can create shelters beneath rocks by expelling sand through their gills.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Grouper" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Robert H. Robins, "Epinephelus itajara", Discover Fish (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Grouper" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Erisman, B. E., "A phylogenetic test of the size-advantage model: Evolutionary changes in mating behavior influence the loss of sex change in a fish lineage", American Naturalist, 2009, p. 83–99; DeMartini, E. E., "Estimates of body sizes at maturation and sex change and the endemic Hawaiian grouper's spawning seasonality and sex ratio (Hyporthodus quernus, f. Epinephelidae)", Fishery Bulletin, 2011, p. 123–134 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Grouper" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Sadovy, Y., "Sexual development and sexuality in the Nassau grouper", Journal of Fish Biology, 1995, p. 961–976; Munoz, R. C., "A new version of the size-advantage hypothesis for sex change: Incorporating sperm competition and size-fecundity skew", American Naturalist, 2003, p. 749–761; Molloy, P. P., "Sperm competition and sex change: A comparative analysis across fishes", Evolution, 2007, p. 640–652; Sadovy, Y., "Sexual development and sexuality in the Nassau grouper", Journal of Fish Biology, 1995, p. 961–976 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Grouper" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Most consumers prefer to purchase live groupers in fish markets" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Wikipedia, "Grouper" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Erisman, B. E., "A phylogenetic test of the size-advantage model: Evolutionary changes in mating behavior influence the loss of sex change in a fish lineage", American Naturalist, 2009, p. 83–99; Erisman, B. E., "A phylogenetic test of the size-advantage model: Evolutionary changes in mating behavior influence the loss of sex change in a fish lineage", American Naturalist, 2009, p. 83–99; Erisman, B. E., "A phylogenetic test of the size-advantage model: Evolutionary changes in mating behavior influence the loss of sex change in a fish lineage", en.wikipedia.org
  6. Robert H. Robins, "Epinephelus itajara", Discover Fish. facts only, no text reused. floridamuseum.ufl.edu
  7. University of Queensland, "Study reveals grouper can help control lionfish invasion", phys.org, 2011. facts only, no text reused. phys.org
  8. "Most consumers prefer to purchase live groupers in fish markets". facts only, no text reused. aquaticcommunity.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Grouper (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

Related entries

Actinopterygii, Giant moray

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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