Rock hind (Epinephelus adscensionis)

Scientific name: Epinephelus adscensionis Osbeck, 1765

The Rock hind (Epinephelus adscensionis) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae.

Biology

Inhabits rocky reefs. Usually solitary. Feeds mainly on crabs (67%) and fishes (20%). At Ascension I., it feeds on juvenile Melichthys niger and young sea turtles. Difficult to approach. Its flesh is of good quality. Marketed fresh. Angling: Like other grouper, rock hind are caught by fishing at the right depth over an irregular bottom.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Epinephelus adscensionis
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 61.0
Common length: 35.0
Depth range: 1–120 m (3–394 ft)
Environment: Marine; demersal; depth range 1 - 120 m, usually ? - 15 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Western Atlantic: Massachusetts, USA and Bermuda to the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and southern Brazil. Eastern Atlantic: Ascension and St. Helena islands; dubious records from the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and South Africa are discussed by Heemstra.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC)
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.11)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026