Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XI+14-16; A, III+10-12; P, 15-17; V, I+5; LL, 72-78  photo : Daniel Golani

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oblong and compressed. Large head, its length greater than its body depth. Large, slightly oblique mouth. Jaws reach back behind vertical of eye. Lower jaw extends clearly in front of upper jaw. Bands of sharp teeth with canine in the outer row. Lower jaw with 2-3 rows of sharp teeth anteriorly and a single row posteriorly. Palatine and vomer teeth present. 11-14 gill rakers on the upper limb of the first gill arch and 20-24 on the lower limb. Preopercular edge serrated. A single continuous dorsal fin, its posterior end as well as anal fin end rounded. Caudal fin truncated to slightly concave. Pectoral fin rounded and pelvic fin slightly pointed. color : body dark brown with irregular yellowish-grey spots and blotches. size : common 15-50 cm (max.80 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Mycteroperca rubra: 28-31 gill rakers on the lower limb of the first gill arch. Paranthias furcifer: caudal fin deeply forked; 9 spines in dorsal fin. Other Serranidae: 7-10 anal rays; usually round caudal fin. Other families: lack of three flat spines on the upper posterior corner of the operculum. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Feeds on fish and large invertebrates. Spawn in aggregations. Eggs and larvae planktonic. habitat : demersal fish in rocky substrate usually to 50 m, however recorded also at 200 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2010, Israel. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Eastern Atlantic. Insular species, known from Madeira, Azores, Canary and Cape Verde Islands. Mediterranean : Israel. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare, only two specimens collected in Israel. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via Gibraltar. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None in the Mediterranean.

KEY REFERENCES Craig M.T., Sadovy de Mitcheson Y.L and Heemstra P.C., 2011. Groupers of the World. NISC (Pty) Ltd., Grahmstown, South Africa. 356+48 pp. Froese R. and Pauly D. (eds), 2013. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication: www.fishbase.org Heemstra P., Aronov A. and Goren M., 2010. First record of the Atlantic island grouper Mycteroperca fusca in the Mediterranean Sea. Marine Biodiversity Records 3: online. Heemstra P.C. and Randall J.E., 1993. FAO species catalogue. Vol. 16 . Groupers of the world (Family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephlinae) an annotated and illustrated catalogue of the groupers, rockod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. Rome, Italy, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 400 pp + 31 color plates. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

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