Plectropomus

Plectropomus, commonly known as the coral groupers, is a genus of marine ray-finned fish, groupers from the subfamily Epinephelinae, part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. They are found in the Indo-Pacific region.

Plectropomus
Plectropomus leopardus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Subfamily: Epinephelinae
Tribe: Epinephelini
Genus: Plectropomus
Oken, 1817
Type species
Bodianus maculatus
Bloch, 1790[1]
Synonyms[2]

Habitat and biology

The Plectropomus coral groupers are ecologically similar to the species in the generea Cephalolophis and Mycteroperca, the latter being regarded as the Atlantiv and eastern Pacific equivalents of the coral groupers. They are large groupers, with some species attaining total lengths of at least 1 metre (3.3 ft), They prefer shallow tropical and subtropical waters where there are coral reefs and are less sedentary than the groupers in the genera Epinephelus and Cephalopholis. They are predatory species, preying largely on fish.[3]

Distribution

Plectropomus coral groupers are confined to the Indo-Pacific region where they are found from the Red Sea and the east coast of Africa as far south as South Africa and east into the Western Pacific Ocean as far as Polynesia, north to Japan and south to Australia.[3]

Utlisation

Plectropomus coral groupers are very important to artisinal fisheries wherever they are found and they are caught using hook and line by spear fishing and trapping, howbver ther are a frequebt cause of Ciguatera poisoning among consumers of their flesh.[3]

Species

The following eight species are classified within the genus Plectropomus:[4]

  • Plectropomus areolatus (Rüppell, 1830) (Squaretail coralgrouper)
  • Plectropomus laevis (Lacépède, 1801) (Blacksaddled coralgrouper)
  • Plectropomus leopardus (Lacepède, 1802) (Leopard coralgrouper)
  • Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch, 1790) (Spotted coralgrouper)
  • Plectropomus oligacanthus (Bleeker, 1855) Highfin coralgrouper)
  • Plectropomus pessuliferus (Fowler, 1904) (Roving coralgrouper)
  • Plectropomus punctatus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) (Marbled coralgrouper)

Other authorities recognise Plectropomus marisrubri, which Fishbase treats as a synonym of P. pessuliferus, as a valid species.[5], while others as treat it as a subspecies of P. pessuliferus, P.p. maristrubri.[3]

  • Leopard coralgrouper Plectropomus leopardus
  • Blacksaddled coral grouper Plectropomus laevis
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References
  1. Eschmeyer, W. N.; R. Fricke & R. van der Laan (eds.). "Plectrpomus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  2. Eschmeyer, W. N.; R. Fricke & R. van der Laan (eds.). "Epinephelinae genera". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
  3. Heemstra, P.C. & J.E. Randall (1993). FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 16. Groupers of the world (family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date (PDF). FAO Fish. Synopsis. 125. FAO, Rome. pp. 285–286. ISBN 92-5-103125-8.
  4. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). Species of Plectropomus in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  5. Eschmeyer, W. N.; R. Fricke & R. van der Laan (eds.). "Plectropomus species". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
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