Gulf grouper
Gulf grouper | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Perciformes |
Family: | Serranidae |
Subfamily: | Epinephelinae |
Genus: | Mycteroperca |
Species: | M. jordani
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Binomial name | |
Mycteroperca jordani | |
Synonyms[2] | |
The Gulf grouper (Mycteroperca jordani) is a species of marine
Description
The Gulf grouper has an elongate, robust and compressed body which is no deeper at the origin of the
Distribution
The Gulf grouper is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean where it is endemic to Mexican waters from
Habitat and biology
The Gulf grouper is found over rocky reefs, kelp beds and sea mounts. The adults are normally found at depths between 5 and 30 metres (16 and 98 ft) but has been recorded as deep as 45 metres (148 ft) during the summer months, and even as deep as 100 metres (330 ft) on reefs. The juveniles are found in shallow rocky reefs and
Behavior and diet
Gulf groupers at a young age tend to prey on different types of fish and invertebrates such as crabs and shrimp. As Gulf Groupers mature, they tend to primarily prey on different fish species. Mature adults tend to hunt during dawn and dusk when the sun is not too bright on the water. According to scientists at NOAA fisheries, the Gulf grouper has a large mouth to completely swallow prey whole and the size of their mouth determines the type of fish that they consume. Mature Gulf groupers like to stay in hideouts outside of the reproduction period of the year. Reproduction period starts in April and ends in June where they gather in packs to form spawning areas that are typically in reefs.
Lifespan and reproduction
The Gulf grouper typically lives for about 48 years. Female Gulf groupers become sexually mature at 6 years old when they can start reproducing offspring. The Gulf grouper is known as being protogynous hermaphroditic, which is when an organism matures as a female but later transitions into a male or vice versa.[citation needed] The Gulf grouper aggregate into larger groups once a year to form spawning grounds for reproduction. The groupers at maturity like to inhabit rocky reefs and different kinds of structure from 16 to 100 feet down. The juvenile gulf groupers stay closer to the shallow coast such as the mangroves.
Taxonomy
The Gulf grouper was first formally
Utilization and threats
The Gulf grouper is considered to be one of the most valuable groupers caught in the Gulf of California by commercial and recreational fisheries. It is thought that overfishing has caused the population to decline by at least 50% over the past 80 years, or so, and so the
Conservation efforts
Restrictions have been placed on fishermen being able to fish for the Gulf grouper because the species is seen as Endangered by the IUCN. Fishing for the Gulf grouper species is prohibited in the United States. Scientists that are part of the NOAA have gone to implement different ways to improve the quality of the habitats that are meant to support the Gulf grouper. The Magnuson-stevens fishery conservation and management act is supported by the NOAA to conserve fish habitats in the United States federal waters.
References
- ^ . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Mycteroperca jordani" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
- ^ a b "Species: Mycteroperca jordani, Gulf grouper". Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- ^ ISBN 92-5-103125-8.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Epinephelus jordani". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
- .