Scientific Name
Mycteroperca bonaci

Common Name
Black grouper

Biology
A solitary species (Ref. 26340) inhabiting rocky and coral reefs (Ref. 9710). Adults feed primarily on fishes; juveniles mainly on crustaceans. Oviparous (Ref. 205). A protogynous hermaphrodite (Ref. 55367). Forms spawning aggregations (Ref. 55367). Common but difficult to approach (Ref. 9710). Marketed fresh and its flesh is of excellent quality.

Classification

Classified By

Poey, 1860

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets (Serranidae)

Distribution

Region

Western Atlantic

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Bermuda and Massachusetts, USA to southern Brazil, including the southern Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Adults are unknown from the northeastern coast of the USA.

Range

33°N - 27°S, 95°W - 33°W

Environment

Climate

Tropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

6 m

Depth To - meters

33 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 6 - 33 m (Ref. 9710)

Trophic Level

4.5 s.e. 0.80 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

False

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

True

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

150 cm

Common Length

70.0 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

Vulnerability

High vulnerability (63 of 100)

Resilience

Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.16; tmax=14; Fec=500,000)

Threat To Humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 31172)

IUCN Red List Status

Near Threatened (NT) , IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group