Venezuelan grouper

The Venezuelan grouper (Mycteroperca cidi) is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in northern South America and the Greater Antilles.

Venezuelan grouper

Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Serranidae
Genus: Mycteroperca
Species:
M. cidi
Binomial name
Mycteroperca cidi
Cervigón, 1966
Synonyms[2]

Labrus guaza Linnaeus, 1758

Description

The Venezuelan grouper has a body depth which is less than the length of the head. the depth of the body being around one third of the standard length,[3] the body is elongate and robust, and is no deeper at the origin of the dorsal fin than it is at the origin of the anal fin.[4] The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 15-17 soft rays and the anal fin contains 3 spines and 10-12 soft rays.[2] The preopercleis serrated and has a distinct lobe at its angle which has enlarged serrations. The caudal fin is slightly concave.[4] The adults are pale greyish brown while the juveniles are greenish brown and are marked with irregular brown spots on the body. The soft rayed part of the dorsal fin and the anal fin has a white margin with a dark submarginal band.[3] This species attains a maximum total length of 114 centimetres (45 in), although they are more commonly around 60 centimetres (24 in), and a maximum published weight of 15 kilograms (33 lb).[2]

Distribution

The Venezuelan grouper is found in northern South America where its range extends from Santa Marta in Colombia to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. It has also been recorded off Port Royal in Jamaica but it is not known whetrher these represent an established population.[1]

Habitat and biology

The Venezuelan grouper is found on coral and rocky reefs as well as soft coral fields. The larger adults are normally found at deeper depths, while the juveniles are recorded from shallower waters, over sandy bottoms near and on coral reefs and from sea grass beds. It depth range is 5 to 160 metres (16 to 525 ft). Very little is known about the biology of this species.[1]

Taxonomy

The Venezuelan grouper was first formally described in 1966 by the Spanish ichthyologist and marine biologist Fernando Cervigón (1930-2017) with the type locality given as Isla Cubagua in Venezuela.[5]

Utilisation

The Venezuelan grouper is an important species for fisheries along the Caribbean coast of Venezuela as it is one of the three most numerous shallow water grouper species. It is taken using with traps and hook-and-line. The flesh is marketed fresh.[3]

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References
  1. Rocha, L.A. (2018). "Mycteroperca cidi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2018: e.T14048A46910790. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T14048A46910790.en. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  2. Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2019). "Mycteroperca cidi" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  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 (16). FAO, Rome. p. 264. ISBN 92-5-103125-8.
  4. "Species: Mycteroperca cidi, Venezuelan grouper". Shorefishes of the Greater Caribbean online information system. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  5. Eschmeyer, W. N.; R. Fricke & R. van der Laan (eds.). "Mycteroperca cidi". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
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