Areolate grouper
Encyclopedia
The areolate grouper is part of a genus of grouper
s. It is a sea fish that inhabits coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. It can grow up to 47 cm long and weigh 1.4 kg. It is whitish to gray with rounded brownish spots; it is particularly identifiable by a narrow, white, straight margin on its truncate tail. They are commercially produced through aquaculture
and capture. There is currently no threat to the survival of Epinephelus areolatus.
areolatus, Forsskål, 1775) is part of a genus of grouper
s. It is on the larger side of fish that live near coral reefs (up to 47 cm long, 1.4 kg). Its coloration is whitish to gray with rounded brownish spots; it is particularly identifiable by a narrow, white, straight margin on its truncate tail. It has 11 dorsal spines, 15-17 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines and 8 anal soft rays.
According to FishBase, the areolate grouper is known by several other common names in English, including the areolate rock cod, squaretail rock cod, yellow-spotted rock cod, green-spotted rock cod and flat-tailed cod. Several Middle-Eastern and Asian languages have common names for this fish as well. It is often confused with the brownspotted grouper
(Epinephelus chlorostigma) found in the Persian Gulf and several other many-spotted species.
The areolate grouper is found in the tropical region ranging from 35°N - 33°S, 29°E - 180°E. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to Natal, South Africa and east to Fiji, north to Japan, south to the Arafura Sea and northern Australia. It was recently recorded to have been observed in Tonga but appears to be absent from areas in the western Indian Ocean.
The areolate grouper is usually found in seagrass beds or on fine sediment bottoms near rocky reefs, dead coral, or alcyonarian
corals. in shallow continental shelf waters. Juveniles are common at water depths to 80 m; eggs and early larvae are probably pelagic.
After hatching, wild grouper larvae eat copepods and other small zooplankton. Areolate grouper feed on fish and benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates, primarily prawns and crabs.
. Floating net cages are the primary culture method. The net cages are supported by a floating frame of plastic pipe, wood or other material and usually anchored to the sea floor. This method is simple, has low capital investment, and uses existing bodies of water so production can be easily increased or decreased. Disadvantages compared to pond culture include vulnerability to external water quality problems and predators. Also, there is not control over water temperature, which is known to strongly affect growth rates.
Grouper consistently demands a high market price, so there is a lot of fishing pressure. In order to alleviate the pressure on wild grouper stocks, many nations have promoted aquaculture in the hopes of producing a more sustainable grouper yield. Hong Kong is the primary producer of areolate grouper raised by aquaculture and about 155 metric tons were produced in 2004. Full-cycle culture of most grouper species, including the areolate grouper, is not yet possible, although several important advances have been made in recent years. For this reason, about two-thirds of all grouper culture, including culture of Epinephelus areolatus
, involves the capture of wild grouper eggs which are then grown out in aquaculture. This is called capture based aquaculture (CBA). The wild eggs are gathered by a variety of artisianal methods, and because success is not predictable, the production varies as well.
Commercial fishing for areolate grouper done with longlines and handlines. While its popularity for food has led to some species of grouper being threatened, there is currently no threat to the survival of Epinephelus areolatus. The table at right shows the amount of areolate grouper produced by farming between 1992 and 2004 and the amount produced by capture in Saudi Arabia (Indian Ocean) between 1996 and 2004, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
s. It is a sea fish that inhabits coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. It can grow up to 47 cm long and weigh 1.4 kg. It is whitish to gray with rounded brownish spots; it is particularly identifiable by a narrow, white, straight margin on its truncate tail. They are commercially produced through aquaculture
Aquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
and capture. There is currently no threat to the survival of Epinephelus areolatus.
Description
The areolate grouper (EpinephelusEpinephelus
Epinephelus is a genus of groupers. They are large sea fish. Members of this genus may also be called a Mero.-Species:FishBase lists 99 species:* Areolate grouper, Epinephelus areolatus ....
areolatus, Forsskål, 1775) is part of a genus of grouper
Grouper
Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
s. It is on the larger side of fish that live near coral reefs (up to 47 cm long, 1.4 kg). Its coloration is whitish to gray with rounded brownish spots; it is particularly identifiable by a narrow, white, straight margin on its truncate tail. It has 11 dorsal spines, 15-17 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines and 8 anal soft rays.
According to FishBase, the areolate grouper is known by several other common names in English, including the areolate rock cod, squaretail rock cod, yellow-spotted rock cod, green-spotted rock cod and flat-tailed cod. Several Middle-Eastern and Asian languages have common names for this fish as well. It is often confused with the brownspotted grouper
Brown Spotted Reef Cod
The Brown Spotted Reef Cod , known as Souman or Hamour-e Khaldar-e Qahvei in Persian and commonly as brownspotted grouper in English, is one of the largest coral dwelling fish to be found in and around the Persian Gulf locale....
(Epinephelus chlorostigma) found in the Persian Gulf and several other many-spotted species.
Distribution
| Year | Farmed Production | Capture Production |
|---|---|---|
| Metric Tons | (Saudi Arabia | |
| 1993 | 512 | in the Indian Ocean) |
| 1994 | 508 | |
| 1995 | 502 | |
| 1996 | 750 | |
| 1997 | 474 | |
| 1998 | 180 | |
| 1999 | 110 | |
| 2000 | 104 | 306 |
| 2001 | 239 | 245 |
| 2002 | 157 | 289 |
| 2003 | 155 | 309 |
| 2004 | 155 | 349 |
The areolate grouper is found in the tropical region ranging from 35°N - 33°S, 29°E - 180°E. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to Natal, South Africa and east to Fiji, north to Japan, south to the Arafura Sea and northern Australia. It was recently recorded to have been observed in Tonga but appears to be absent from areas in the western Indian Ocean.
The areolate grouper is usually found in seagrass beds or on fine sediment bottoms near rocky reefs, dead coral, or alcyonarian
Alcyonarian
The Alcyonarian corals are organisms resembling the octocorals . This individual polyps formed colonies and bore sclerites. The Burgess shale organism Margaretia dorus resembles an Alcyonarian, according to C.D. Walcott , and was reclassified as green algae closely resembling modern Caulerpa by...
corals. in shallow continental shelf waters. Juveniles are common at water depths to 80 m; eggs and early larvae are probably pelagic.
Reproduction and feeding
Like other groupers, the areolate grouper is a sex-changing species; young are female, and some change to male with maturity. Maturity is reached at a fork length of 22 cm, and spawning usually occurs during the months of May, June, October and December.After hatching, wild grouper larvae eat copepods and other small zooplankton. Areolate grouper feed on fish and benthic (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates, primarily prawns and crabs.
Commercial production
The areolate grouper is one of about sixteen species of grouper commonly raised using aquacultureAquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
. Floating net cages are the primary culture method. The net cages are supported by a floating frame of plastic pipe, wood or other material and usually anchored to the sea floor. This method is simple, has low capital investment, and uses existing bodies of water so production can be easily increased or decreased. Disadvantages compared to pond culture include vulnerability to external water quality problems and predators. Also, there is not control over water temperature, which is known to strongly affect growth rates.
Grouper consistently demands a high market price, so there is a lot of fishing pressure. In order to alleviate the pressure on wild grouper stocks, many nations have promoted aquaculture in the hopes of producing a more sustainable grouper yield. Hong Kong is the primary producer of areolate grouper raised by aquaculture and about 155 metric tons were produced in 2004. Full-cycle culture of most grouper species, including the areolate grouper, is not yet possible, although several important advances have been made in recent years. For this reason, about two-thirds of all grouper culture, including culture of Epinephelus areolatus
, involves the capture of wild grouper eggs which are then grown out in aquaculture. This is called capture based aquaculture (CBA). The wild eggs are gathered by a variety of artisianal methods, and because success is not predictable, the production varies as well.
Commercial fishing for areolate grouper done with longlines and handlines. While its popularity for food has led to some species of grouper being threatened, there is currently no threat to the survival of Epinephelus areolatus. The table at right shows the amount of areolate grouper produced by farming between 1992 and 2004 and the amount produced by capture in Saudi Arabia (Indian Ocean) between 1996 and 2004, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations