Scientific Name
Epinephelus striatus

Common Name
Nassau grouper

Biology
Occurs from the shoreline to at least 90 m depth. Usually close to caves (Ref. 9710). Juveniles are common in seagrass beds. Diet comprises mainly of fishes (54%) and crabs (23%) and lesser amounts of other crustaceans and mollusks. It is solitary and mainly diurnal; but may sometimes form schools. Spawns near the new moon with up to 30,000 aggregating at certain spawning sites (Ref. 9710). The least wary and most friendly of all the groupers (Ref. 5226). Heavily fished and vulnerable to overfishing, particularly when migrating or aggregating to spawn (Ref. 9710). The most important commercial grouper in the West Indies. Marketed fresh, mostly between 2 to 10 kg (Ref. 3708).

Classification

Classified By

Bloch, 1792

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets (Serranidae)

Distribution

Region

Western Atlantic

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Florida, Bahamas, Yucatan Peninsula and throughout the Caribbean to southern Brazil. Not known from the Gulf of Mexico except at the Campeche Bank off the coast of Yucatan, at Tortugas and off Key West.

Range

35°N - 34°S, 92°W - 34°W

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

1 m

Depth To - meters

90 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 90 m (Ref. 5217)

Trophic Level

4.06 s.e. 0.71 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

122 cm

Common Length

Unknown cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

Vulnerability

High vulnerability (63 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Musick et al. 2000 (Ref. 36717))

Threat To Humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30303)

IUCN Red List Status

Endangered (EN) (A2ad), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group