Nassau grouper - Epinephelus striatus

Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) or striped grouper is one of several perciform fishes in the Serranidae family, commonly referred to as groupers. It is the most important grouper for commercial fisheries in the West Indies, but has been endangered by overfishing. Cernia di Nassau Cernia Striata Epinephelus striatus Intotheblue.it

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The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the Nassau grouper as critically endangered due to commercial and recreational fishing and coral reef destruction. Fishing for the species is prohibited in US federal waters. The Nassau grouper is a National Marine Fisheries Service Species of Concern and is a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act.

Description

The Nassau grouper is a medium to large fish, exceeding one meter in length and weighing up to 25 kg. It has a broad body and a large mouth, which it uses to “inhale” prey. Its color varies depending on the circumstances and environment of the individual fish. In shallow waters (up to 60 feet), the grouper is a tawny color, but specimens living in deeper waters are pinkish or red, or sometimes red-orange. Overlaid on this base color are a number of lighter stripes, darker spots, bars, and patterns, including black spots below and behind the eye and a forked stripe on the top of the head.

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Distribution and habitat

The Nassau grouper lives in the sea near coral reefs; it is one of the largest fish found around coral reefs. It can be found from the shoreline to nearly 100 meters deep. It lives in the western Atlantic Ocean, from Bermuda, Florida, and the Bahamas in the north to southern Brazil, but is only found in a few areas of the Gulf of Mexico, particularly along the coast of Belize.

Biology

It is a solitary fish that feeds during the day, primarily on other fish and small crustaceans such as crabs and small lobsters. It spawns in December and January, always around the time of the full moon, and always in the same locations. Under the light of the full moon, huge numbers of groupers gather to mate in mass spawning.