Smooth grouper
| Smooth grouper | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Subfamily: | Epinephelinae |
| Genus: | Dermatolepis |
| Species: | D. striolata
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| Binomial name | |
| Dermatolepis striolata (Playfair, 1867)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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The smooth grouper (Dermatolepis striolata) is a species of marine
and sea basses. It is associated with reefs and is found in the western Indian Ocean.Description
The smooth grouper has a body which is at 2.4-2.6 times as deep as its
anal fin has 3 spines and 9-10 soft rays.[2] The colour of this fish is overall yellowish to reddish brown, becoming paler ventrally. The adults have small, round, dark spots covering the head, body and fins. The juveniles have many small dark brown spots on the head, body and fins, the spots on the body are elongated horizontally while those on the fins are less obvious. The dorsal, anal and caudal fin also have pale spots and there are also pale, irregular blotches of various sizes which vary on visibility too.[3] This species attains a maximum total length of 85 centimetres (33 in) and the maximum published weight is 10.5 kilograms (23 lb).[2]
Distribution
The smooth grouper is found in the western Indian Ocean. Along the African coast its distribution extends from Somalia to
Comoros Islands, Madagascar and Aldabra in the Seychelles. It is also found around the southern Arabian Peninsula as far east as the Iranian waters of the Gulf of Oman.It has also been reported from the Red Sea.[1]
Habitat and biology
The smooth grouper is a rare species found on the shallow waters of sheltered, turbid coastal rocky or coral reefs. They have been reported to shoal in small in small groups of up to 8 fishes. Analysis of stomach contents show that they are
Taxonomy
The smooth grouper was first formally
References
- ^ . Retrieved 15 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Dermatolepis striolata" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
- ^ ISBN 92-5-103125-8.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Serranus striolatus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 June 2020.