Orange-spotted grouper

Orange-spotted grouper
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)(Persian Gulf)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Perciformes
Family:	Serranidae
Subfamily:	Epinephelinae
Tribe:	Epinephelini
Genus:	Epinephelus
Species:	E. coioides
Binomial name
Epinephelus coioides (Hamilton, 1822)
Synonyms[2]
Bola coioides Hamilton, 1822 Serranus nebulosus Valenciennes, 1828 Cephalopholis nebulosus (Valenciennes, 1828) Epinephelus nebulosus (Valenciennes, 1828) Serranus suillus Valenciennes, 1828 Epinephelus suillus (Valenciennes, 1828) Homalogrystes guntheri Alleyne & Macleay, 1877

The orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides), also known as the brown-spotted rockcod, estuary cod, estuary rockcod, goldspotted rockcod, greasy cod, North-west groper, orange spotted cod or blue-and-yellow grouper, is a species of marine

The orange-spotted grouper has an elongate body which has a

The orange-spotted grouper has an Indo-Pacific distribution. It is found along the eastern coast of Africa which extends from the Gulf of Suez south as far as Durban in South Africa. It is also found off Madagascar, Mauritius, and Réunion and in the Persian Gulf eastward into the Pacific Ocean as far as Palau and Fiji. Its range extends north to Japan and south to Australia.^[1] In Australia it occurs from Carnarvon, Western Australia along the tropical northern coasts to the Solitary Islands in New South Wales.^[4] It was observed first in the Mediterranean Sea off Israel in 1969 and has been recorded rarely since.^[5] This species has been tested in several countries for mariculture, which is a possible vector for its introduction.^[6]

Habitat and biology

The orange-spotted grouper occurs in coral reefs, especially those along mainland coasts and large islands. The juveniles are frequently encountered in estuaries where there are sand, mud and gravel substrates and in mangroves. This is a predatory species which preys on fishes,

Unfortunately, orange spotted groupers have been severely overexploited and fished. In any country where they can be found, their numbers have dwindled or are dwindling. They are mostly targeted using fish traps, and have spectacular tasting flesh^[citation needed] which attains a high value in markets. In the UAE, the brunt of the overexploitation is easily visible. It has been assessed that they have been overexploited 7 times the normal level, and fisherman have described: "20 years ago, one net catches you 50kg. Now we use 100 nets and get 10kg of fish". They are slow-growing due to their quite lazy preying methods, mature late, and produce little eggs. The more sought-after larger male fish have been most affected, creating an imbalance between the genders affecting their populations further.^{[citation needed]}

Taxonomy

The orange-spotted grouper was first formally

The orange-spotted grouper is a target for commercial fisheries throughout its range where it is esteemed as a food fish. It is sold live as well as fresh and it has been attempted to culture it and breed it in aquaculture.^[1]

References