White grouper (Epinephelus aeneus)

Scientific name: Epinephelus aeneus Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1817

White grouper (Epinephelus aeneus)

The White grouper (Epinephelus aeneus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Serranidae.

Biology

Adults are found on rocky or mud-sand bottom; juveniles have been taken in coastal lagoons and estuaries. In the west African waters, diet comprise of fishes (58%), stomatopods (21%), crabs (10%), and cephalopods (10%). It is a protogynous hermaphrodite. The seasonal migration of the species off the coast of Senegal is influenced by the seasonal upwelling off Senegal and Mauritania. Utilized fresh and smoked. Highly esteemed in the market of West Africa.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Epinephelus aeneus
Family
Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
120
Common length
60.0
Depth range
20–200 m (66–656 ft)
Environment
Marine; brackish; demersal; oceanodromous; depth range 20 - 200 m
Climate
Subtropical
Distribution
Eastern Atlantic: along the west coast of Africa to southern Angola, including the southern Mediterranean. Records from the Canary Islands and Cape Verde are unsubstantiated.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Near Threatened (NT), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group
Threat to humans
Harmless
Uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquaculture: experimental; gamefish: yes
Resilience
Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.15-0.25; tm=5-7; tmax=17; Fec>1 million)

Sources

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

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