Sawtail grouper

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Sawtail grouper

Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Epinephelinae
Genus: Mycteroperca
Species:
M. prionura
Binomial name
Mycteroperca prionura
Rosenblatt & Zahuranec
, 1967

The sawtail grouper (Mycteroperca prionura)is a species of marine

Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses.. It is endemic to the western coasts of Mexico
. The sawtail grouper commonly lives on fields of large boulders with gorgonians and black corals.

Description

The sawtail grouper has a body which is elongate, robust and compressed with its depth being the same at the origin of the

caudal fin is rounded or truncate.[3] The juveniles are pale grey or whitish in colour with small brown spots and a few bigger ellipsoid brown blotches. The adults are similar but have more numerous spots and the blotches are indistinct.[2] This species attains a total length of 105 centimetres (41 in) and a maximum published weight of 14.1 kilograms (31 lb).[4]

Distribution

The sawtail grouper is found in the eastern Pacific Ocean where it is endemic to Mexico where it occurs from Baja California and the Gulf of California south to Puerto Vallarta.[1]

Habitat and biology

The sawtail grouper is found at depths from 10 to 90 metres (33 to 295 ft).

protogynous hermaphrodite with the older reproductively functional females changing to males. This is a very rare species and its behaviour is little known.[5] It is known that they form spawning aggregations, frequently in association with Mycteroperca rosacea and these have been observed in April and May.[1]

Taxonomy

The sawtail grouper was first formally

type locality given as the Inner Gorda Bank in Baja California Sur.[6]

Utilisation

The sawtail grouper is considered to be an excellent food fish and is an important target species, among other grouper species, for small scale fisheries in the northern Gulf of California. It is also a popular quarry for

game fishing.[1] Poachers fish illegally at night for sawtails grouper using spears, hookah breathing apparatus and lights, taking a significant number of fish.[5]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T14052A100571029.en
    . Retrieved 17 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Species: Mycteroperca prionura, Sawtail grouper". Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 26 July 2020.
  3. ^
    ISBN 92-5-103125-8
    .
  4. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Mycteroperca prionura" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  5. ^ a b "Sawtail Grouper". Mexican-fish.com. John Snow. 24 December 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  6. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Mycteroperca prionura". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
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