Australia country information

Common names: Areolate grouper, Areolate rock cod, Green-spotted rock cod
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: common (usually seen) | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Importance: commercial | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Aquaculture: never/rarely | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Regulations: restricted | Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
Uses: live export: yes;
Comments: Present around northern Australia from Exmouth Gulf to just south of Sydney. Commercial fishery: In Australian waters, rock cod are caught by demersal otter trawling, traps, droplines and handlines. In general however, they are not targeted in these fisheries, instead forming a major bycatch of emperor (Lethrinidae) and sea perch (Lutjanidae) fisheries. The highest recorded catches of rock cod in domestic fisheries up to 1989-90, were 39 t (Queensland, 1975-76), 14 t (Northern Territory, 1986-87) and 287 t (Western Australia, 1989-90). Yellow-spotted rock cod is one of the major serranid species in the Northern Fish Trawl Fishery (Ref. 27275), which includes the North West Shelf, Timor Sea and Arafura Sea. This fishery was mainly worked by Taiwanese pair trawlers and some Thai stern trawlers and Chinese pair trawlers from about 1971 to 1991. Up until 1990, yellow-spotted rock cod and estuary rock cod comprised 62% of the reported 'cod' catches by foreign vessels in northern Australia (bar-cheeked trout Plectropomus maculatus, was the other main species) (Ref. 27275). In 1993, the highest catches of rock cod were made by Australian stern trawlers on the North West Shelf. Larger rock cod were less abundant in the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Arafura Sea. On the North West Shelf, demersal trap and line fishing occurs mainly in the Exmouth to Point Samson (114°-117° E) and Broome areas. Yellow-spotted rock cod, trout cod (E. maculatus), and longfin rock cod (E. quoyanus) comprise a group of smaller species frequently caught in the traps (Ref. 27266). In the Northern Territory, demersal trap, handline and dropline fishing is carried out mainly in the 'Timor Box' (a region between 127.5°E and 131°E). In 1991, serranids comprised 22% of the total catch from the Timor Box. Fish trapping is confined to areas with hard sea floor which are not worked by demersal trawlers. The main serranid caught in the Northern Territory trap and dropline fishery is yellow-spotted rock cod. In Queensland, rock cod are a component of the East Coast Reef Line Fishery. They are caught usually with handlines in shallower water and with droplines in deeper water. Rock cod also form a small part of the bycatch from demersal otter trawling in Queensland. Throughout northern Australia they are an incidental catch in bottom set longlines and gillnets. Smaller rock cod are marketed whole or gilled and gutted, either frozen or fresh chilled. Larger rock cod are sold whole but more often as fillets or cutlets. Museum: AMS I.22801-010; NTM S.11188-001; WAM P.25354-016 (Western Australia). AMS I.21949-003; WAM P.25354-006; NTM S.12346-002 (Northern Territory). LPPL JIF30, from North West Cape to Darwin (Ref. 5978). Also Ref. 2114, 4787, 7300, 089707.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/as.html
National Fisheries Authority: http://www.csiro.au/
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Kailola, P.J., M.J. Williams, P.C. Stewart, R.E. Reichelt, A. McNee and C. Grieve, 1993
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 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 Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | 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: production; Fisheries: production; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

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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 = 0.16 - 0.49, Based on 2 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)