Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D,XI+15-17; A, III+8; P, 18-20 ; V, I+5; LL, 50-56  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oblong and slightly compressed. Large head, its upper profile slightly convex. Large mouth, jaws reaching back beyond eye. Large sharp teeth in jaws and smaller but sharp teeth on vomer and palatine. Preoperculum edge serrated. Operculum posterior edge pointed with three flat spines. Continuous dorsal fin, its posterior edge round. The second spine of anal fin is the largest. Caudal, pectoral and pelvic fins round. Body and head covered with small ctenoid scales. color : body grey to pinkish with five wide dusky vertical bars. White to light grey belly. The tip of the membrane between dorsal spines is black. Head dorsal surface brown to reddish. All fins have orange-rosy touch. When inhabiting deeper water (more than 100 m) they have orange-rosy color. size : common 10-30 cm (max. 40 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Other serranids in the Mediterranean: no black tip of the membrane between dorsal spines. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Feeds on fish and large invertebrates chiefly crustaceans and cephalopods. Probably protogynic hermaphrodite. Eggs and larvae planktonic. habitat : between rocks and coral to depths of 150 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2011, Lebanon. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : wide Indo-Pacific distribution. However, some researchers believe that several populations might be elevated to the specific level. Mediterranean : a single specimen, recorded only by photograph, reported from Lebanon. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None in the Mediterranean but in its original distribution considered as an important species in artisanal fishery.

KEY REFERENCES Bariche M. and Heemstra P., 2012. First record of the blacktip grouper Epinephelus fasciatus (Teleostei: Serranidae) in the Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biodiversity Records, 5 Heemstra P.C. and Randall J.E., 1993. FAO species catalogue. Vol.16. Groupers of the world. (Family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the groupers, rockcod hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis, 125(16), 1–382 +31 pl.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002