Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus)

Scientific name: Epinephelus striatus Bloch, 1792

The Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae.

Biology

Occurs from the shoreline to at least 90 m depth. Usually close to caves. 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. The least wary and most friendly of all the groupers. Heavily fished and vulnerable to overfishing, particularly when migrating or aggregating to spawn. The most important commercial grouper in the West Indies. Marketed fresh, mostly between 2 to 10 kg.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Epinephelus striatus
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 122
Depth range: 1–90 m (3–295 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; oceanodromous; depth range 1 - 90 m
Climate: Tropical
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.
Conservation status (IUCN): Endangered (EN) (A2ad), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Musick et al. 2000)