Sailfin grouper | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Serranidae |
Subfamily: | Epinephelinae |
Genus: | Mycteroperca |
Species: | M. olfax |
Binomial name | |
Mycteroperca olfax (Jenyns, 1843) | |
Synonyms [2] | |
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The sailfin grouper (Mycteroperca olfax), also known as the bacalao grouper, colorado grouper or yellow grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found off islands in the eastern Pacific.
The sailfin grouper has a body which is elongate, robust and compressed with its depth being the same at the origin of the dorsal fin as it is at the origin of the anal fin. [3] The standard length is 2.9 to 3.1 times the body's depth. The preopercle is angular, with a serrated lobe at its angle. [4] The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 16-17 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 11 soft rays. [2] The membranes between the dorsal fin spines are not deeply notched and the soft rayed part of the dorsal fin is rounded. The caudal fin is emarginate in adults and truncate in juveniles. [4] The head and body are normally pale grey-brown in colour with numerous, closely set brown spots and they sometimes have 10-12 thin dark bars, which may be broken, on the upper body. The fin margins are dark, with narrow white borders. Occasionally they are entirely bright yellow in colour. [3] This species attains a total length of 120 centimetres (47 in). [2]
The sailfin grouper is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean where it occurs in the waters off the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, Cocos Island in Costa Rica and Malpelo Island of Colombia. Vagrants have been recorded sporadically along the coast between Costa Rica and Peru. [1]
The sailfin grouper occurs along rock walls, over rocky reef drop-offs, underwater lava ridges and around other vertical rock formations as adults, the juveniles have been recorded from shallow sandy lagoons, sea grass beds, mangrove lagoons, shallow lava reefs and even inland lava ponds. The adults are piscivorous and the main prey of the larger adults is the pacific creolefish ( Paranthias colonus ). The females become sexually mature at 4 years of age and with a total length of around 47.5 centimetres (18.7 in). The transition to males takes place around 12 year of age and when the total length is 83.7 centimetres (33.0 in). The skewed sex ratio and lack of small males suggests that this species is a monandric protogynous hermaphrodite but this has not been confirmed histologically. Spawning has been observed from October until April, peaking in October and December, and aggregations have been recorded. Outside the spawning season the malesa and females appear to be ecologically separated with the males further offshore than the females. [1]
The sailfin grouper was first formally described as Serranus olfax in 1843 by the English clergyman, author and naturalist Leonard Jenyns (1800-1893) with the type locality given as San Cristóbal Island in the Galapagos. [5] In 1862 the American zoologist Theodore Nicholas Gill (1837-1914) placed it in the monotypic genus Mycteroperca , which has since been expanded to include 14 other species, and M. olfax is therefore its type species. [6]
The sailfin grouper is the commonest and most valuable finfish landed in the Galápagos by the artisanal handline fishery and has been since the Norwegians introduced the butterfly method of salting and drying fish that gives bacalao (known as cod in Spanish) its name in the late 1920s. The dried flesh is exported to the mainland Ecuador where it is used in a traditional Easter dish called fanesca. The fishery operates throughout the year but it peaks from October until April when the demand is at its peak in the lead up to Easter. In 2008 it was reported that fishing effort was being reduced as fishers targeted the more valuable sea cucumber and lobster stocks. Sailfin groupers are also targeted by recreational game fishing tourists. [1]
Mycteroperca bonaci, the black grouper, black rockfish or marbled rockfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. Other fish are sometimes called the black grouper including the similar gag grouper, the misty grouper, and the critically endangered Warsaw grouper. This species is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern United States to Brazil.
The comet grouper, also known as the comet cod or dot-dash grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is a species of deep coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region.
The yellowfin grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.
The marbled grouper, donkey fish, mutton hamlet, rockhind and sicklefish grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is a predatory reef fish which is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.
The smooth grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is associated with reefs and is found in the western Indian Ocean.
The yellow grouper, also known as the banded grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in eastern Asian waters of the Western Pacific Ocean. Its natural habitats are shallow seas and rocky reefs.
The snowy grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.
The camouflage grouper, also known as the blue-tailed cod, camouflage rockcod, small-toothed rockcod, smooth flowery rock-cod, snout-spot grouper or snout-spot rock-cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution where it is associated with reefs.
The Venezuelan grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in northern South America and the Greater Antilles.
Mycteroperca is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, groupers from the subfamily Epinephelinae, part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. They are predatory fish, largely associated with reefs and are found in tropical and subtropical seas in the Atlantic Ocean and the eastern Pacific Ocean. They are important target species for fisheries.
The tiger grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.
The Pacific goliath grouper, also known as the Pacific itajara grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It found in the eastern Pacific Ocean where it is associated with reefs. It is related to the Atlantic goliath grouper.
Cephalopholis panamensis, the Pacific graysby or Panama graysby, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Mycteroperca rosacea, the leopard grouper or golden grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Eastern Central Pacific that occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade.
The yellowmouth grouper, also known as the crossband rockfish, grey mannock, hamlet, harlequin rockfish, princess rockfish, rockfish, salmon grouper, salmon rock fish or scamp, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Caribbean and in the tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It is also found in pockets in Brazil. It is a fairly large fish and it gets its name from the yellow around its mouth.
Epinephelus labriformis, commonly called starry grouper or flag cabrilla is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the eastern Pacific Occean.
Epinephelus erythrurus, the cloudy grouper, also known as the cloudy rock cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in marine and brackish waters in the Indo-Pacific region.
Epinephelus latifasciatus, the striped grouper, banded grouper or spotfin rockcod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.
Hyporthodus mystacinus, the misty grouper, black grouperconvict grouper, eightbar grouper or moustache grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is primarily found in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico with populations present around the Galapagos Islands and Central American coastlines.
Epinephelus bleekeri, the duskytail grouper, Bleeker's grouper or Bleeker's rockcod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region where it is associated with shallow banks.