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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 Nombres comunes | Sinónimos | Catalog of Fishes(Género, Especie) | 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 Ecología

marino asociado a arrecife; no migratorio; rango de profundidad 80 - 370 m (Ref. 5222).   Tropical; 31°N - 31°S, 30°E - 134°W (Ref. 5222)

Distribución Países | Áreas FAO | Ecosistemas | Ocurrencias, apariciones | Point map | Introducciones | 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.

Tamaño / Peso / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 90.0 cm TL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 2871); common length : 60.0 cm TL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 9137); peso máximo publicado: 6.7 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Claves de identificación | Morfología | Morfometría

Espinas dorsales (total) : 11; Radios blandos dorsales (total) : 14 - 15; Espinas anales: 3; Radios blandos anales: 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).

Biología     Glosario (por ej. 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 | Reproducción | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larva

Main reference Upload your references | Referencias | Coordinador | Colaboradores

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

Pesquerías: escaso valor comercial; pesca deportiva: si
FAO(pesquerías: producción; publication : search) | FishSource | Sea Around Us

Más información

Trophic ecology
componentes alimenticios
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Despredadores
Ecology
Ecología
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Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproducción
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
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Egg(s)
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Toxicities (LC50s)
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Fuentes de Internet

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).
Nivel trófico (Ref. 69278):  4.0   ±0.65 se; based on food items.
Resiliencia (Ref. 120179):  Medio, población duplicada en un tiempo mínimo de 1.4-4.4 años (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.