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Epinephelus morrhua (Valenciennes, 1833)

Comet grouper
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Native range | All suitable habitat | Point map | Year 2050
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Epinephelus morrhua   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Epinephelus morrhua (Comet grouper)
Epinephelus morrhua
Picture by Justine, J.-L.


Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) country information

Common names: [No common name]
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: live export: yes;
Comments: Known from southern Taiwan (Ref. 48445) and reported from the Penghu Islands (Ref. 55073). Also Ref. 4868, 47843.
National Checklist:
Country Information: https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/tw.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993
National Database: The Fish Database of Taiwan

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names Nomi Comuni | Sinonimi | Catalog of Fishes(Genere, Specie) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

> Perciformes/Serranoidei (Groupers) > Epinephelidae (Groupers)
Etymology: Epinephelus: Greek, epinephelos = cloudy (Ref. 45335).
  More on author: Valenciennes.

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

marino associati a barriera corallina; non migratori; distribuzione batimetrica 80 - 370 m (Ref. 5222).   Tropical; 31°N - 31°S, 30°E - 134°W (Ref. 5222)

Distribuzione Stati | Aree FAO | Ecosystems | Presenze | Point map | Introduzioni | Faunafri

Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to the central Pacific. Epinephelus poecilonotus, Epinephelus radiatus, and Epinephelus tuamotoensis are sometimes referred to as this species.

Size / Peso / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 90.0 cm TL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 2871); common length : 60.0 cm TL maschio/sesso non determinato; (Ref. 9137); peso massimo pubblicato: 6.7 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Chiavi di identificazione | Morfologia | Morfometria

Spine dorsali (totale) : 11; Raggi dorsali molli (totale) : 14 - 15; Spine anali: 3; Raggi anali molli: 7 - 8. Distinguished by the following characteristics: head and body tan, with dark brown bands: bifurcate band that begins at rear edge of eye, upper branch extending to a dark brown saddle blotch on the nape just in front of dorsal fin, lower branch running to lower opercular spine and continuing on body as midlateral band that bifurcates above the pectoral fin, upper branch of this band running to a dark blotch at the base of 3rd to 7th dorsal fin rays; dark band from the upper edge of the operculum to base of 5th to 9th dorsal fin spines; narrow band from lower edge of eye to pectoral fin base, continued as broken band along lower part of body and curving up to the dorsal part of peduncle; broad band from maxillary groove to posterior end of interopercle; small dark brown spots often present in the pale areas between bands; depth of body contained 2.8-3.1 times in SL; head length 2.3-2.5 times in SL; flat to moderately convex interorbital area, dorsal head profile slightly convex; shallow indentation on preopercle just above the enlarged serrae at the angle; upper edge of operculum almost straight; maxilla reaches to or past vertical at rear edge of eye; 2 rows of teeth on midlateral part of lower jaw (Ref. 89707).

Biologia     Glossario (es. epibenthic)

Found in deep waters from 80-370 m on slopes of islands, sea mounts or continental shelves. Feeds on benthic fishes and large invertebrates (Ref. 89707). Considered rare in Tahiti but quite common in atolls (Ref. 4821). The species is easily confused with E. poecilonotus, E. radiatus, or E. tuamotuensis, three closely related deep-water groupers. Known to be ciguatoxic at Mauritius. Uncommon in local markets (probably due to it deep-water habitat).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Riproduzione | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larve

Main reference Upload your references | Bibliografia | Coordinatore | Collaboratori

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: 22 November 2016

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 5222)




Human uses

Pesca: scarso interesse commerciale; Pesce da pesca sportiva: si
FAO(pesca: production; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

Informazioni ulteriori

Trophic ecology
Prede
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predatori
Ecology
Ecologia
Home ranges
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Riproduzione
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larve
Dinamica popolazioni larvali
Distribution
Stati
Aree FAO
Ecosystems
Presenze
Introduzioni
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Cervelli
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Suoni dei Pesci
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetica
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Profili di acquacoltura
Varietà
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Outreach
Collaboratori
References
Bibliografia

Strumenti

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 14.2 - 23.1, mean 19 (based on 305 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01318 (0.00806 - 0.02156), b=3.03 (2.90 - 3.16), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.0   ±0.65 se; based on food items.
Resilienza (Ref. 120179):  Medio, tempo minimo di raddoppiamento della popolazione 1.4 - 4.4 anni (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (43 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Very high vulnerability (86 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.