Examine individual changes

'{{Taxobox | name = Areolate Grouper ''Epinephelus areolatus'' | image = | image_width = 250px | image_caption = [[Atlantic Goliath grouper]], ''Epinephelus itajara'' | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]] | classis = [[Actinopterygii]] | ordo = [[Perciformes]] | familia = [[Serranidae]] | genus = ''Epinephelus'' | genus_authority = [[Marcus Elieser Bloch|Bloch]], 1793 | binomial = ''Epinephelus areolatus'' | binomial_authority = ([[Forsskål]], 1775) }} The '''areolate grouper''' ([[Epinephelus]] ''areolatus'', [[Forsskål]], 1775) is part of a genus of [[grouper]]s. It is a sea fish that inhabits coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific region. It can grow up to 47&nbsp;cm long and weigh 1.4&nbsp;kg.<ref name="ReferenceA">Moran, M, Jenke J, Burton C, and Clarke D. 1988 The Western Australian trap and line fishery on the Northwest Shelf. Western Australian Marine Research Laboratories. FIRTA Project 86/28, Final Report. 79 p.</ref> It is whitish to gray with rounded brownish spots; it is particularly identifiable by a narrow, white, straight margin on its truncate tail.<ref name="Ferrari A 2007. p. 149">Ferrari A and Ferrari A. Diver’s Guide to Reef Life. Nautilus Publishing Sdn. Bhd, Maylasia, 2007. ISBN 9832731011, p. 149</ref> They are commercially produced through [[aquaculture]] and capture. There is currently no threat to the survival of Epinephelus ''areolatus''.<ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/132774/0/biblio Epinephelus areolatus page on IUCN List of Threatened Species]</ref> ==Description== The areolate grouper ([[Epinephelus]] ''areolatus'', [[Forsskål]], 1775) is part of a genus of [[grouper]]s. It is on the larger side of fish that live near coral reefs (up to 47&nbsp;cm long, 1.4&nbsp;kg<ref name="ReferenceA"/>). Its coloration is whitish to gray with rounded brownish spots; it is particularly identifiable by a narrow, white, straight margin on its truncate tail.<ref name="Ferrari A 2007. p. 149"/> It has 11 dorsal spines, 15-17 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines and 8 anal soft rays. According to [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=5367 FishBase], the areolate grouper is known by several other common names in English, including the areolate rock cod, squaretail rock cod, yellow-spotted rock cod, green-spotted rock cod and flat-tailed cod. Several Middle-Eastern and Asian languages have common names for this fish as well. It is often confused with the [[Brown Spotted Reef Cod|brownspotted grouper]] (Epinephelus chlorostigma) found in the Persian Gulf<ref name="FishBase page on areolate grouper">[http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?ID=5367 FishBase page on areolate grouper]</ref> and several other many-spotted species.<ref name="Ferrari A 2007. p. 149"/> ==Distribution== {| style="float: right;" border="1" |- ! Year ! Farmed Production ! Capture Production |- | | Metric Tons |(Saudi Arabia |- | 1993 | 512 | in the Indian Ocean) |- | 1994 | 508 | |- | 1995 | 502 | |- | 1996 | 750 | |- | 1997 | 474 | |- | 1998 | 180 | |- | 1999 | 110 | |- | 2000 | 104 | 306 |- | 2001 | 239 | 245 |- | 2002 | 157 | 289 |- | 2003 | 155 | 309 |- | 2004 | 155 | 349 |} The areolate grouper is found in the tropical region ranging from 35°N - 33°S, 29°E - 180°E.<ref>Heemstra PC, Randall JE. 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. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(16):382 p.</ref> They are found in the Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf to Natal, South Africa and east to Fiji, north to Japan, south to the Arafura Sea and northern Australia. It was recently recorded to have been observed in Tonga but appears to be absent from areas in the western Indian Ocean.<ref name="FishBase page on areolate grouper"/> The areolate grouper is usually found in seagrass beds or on fine sediment bottoms near rocky reefs, dead coral, or [[alcyonarian]] corals.<ref>Heemstra, P.C. and 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. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(16):382 p.</ref> in shallow continental shelf waters. Juveniles are common at water depths to 80 m; eggs and early larvae are probably [[pelagic]]. ==Reproduction and feeding== Like other groupers, the areolate grouper is a sex-changing species; young are female, and some change to male with maturity. Maturity is reached at a fork length of 22&nbsp;cm, and spawning usually occurs during the months of May, June, October and December.<ref>Pakoa, K. Vital statistics of marine fishes of Vanuatu. FishByte July–September, 1998 [http://worldfish.catalog.cgiar.org/naga/na_2281.pdf read online]</ref> After hatching, wild grouper larvae eat copepods and other small zooplankton.<ref name="Tupper, M. 2008. pp. 217">Tupper, M.; Sheriff, N. 2008. Capture-based aquaculture of groupers. In A. Lovatelli and P.F. Holthus (eds). Capture-based aquaculture. Global overview. FAO Fisheries Technical Paper. No. 508. Rome, FAO. pp. 217–253.</ref> Areolate grouper feed on fish and [[benthic]] (bottom-dwelling) invertebrates, primarily prawns and crabs.<ref name="FishBase page on areolate grouper"/> ==Commercial production== The areolate grouper is one of about sixteen species of grouper commonly raised using [[aquaculture]].<ref name="Tupper, M. 2008. pp. 217"/> Floating net cages are the primary culture method. The net cages are supported by a floating frame of plastic pipe, wood or other material and usually anchored to the sea floor. This method is simple, has low capital investment, and uses existing bodies of water so production can be easily increased or decreased. Disadvantages compared to pond culture include vulnerability to external water quality problems and predators. Also, there is not control over water temperature, which is known to strongly affect growth rates.<ref>[http://www.dpi.vic.gov.au/dpi/nrenfaq.nsf/FID/-AE7E83A392715296CA256C41000A3ED9?OpenDocument Australia Department of Primary Industries page on cage aquaculture]</ref> Grouper consistently demands a high market price, so there is a lot of fishing pressure. In order to alleviate the pressure on wild grouper stocks, many nations have promoted aquaculture in the hopes of producing a more sustainable grouper yield. Hong Kong is the primary producer of areolate grouper raised by aquaculture and about 155 metric tons were produced in 2004.<ref>Pillay, TVR, Kutty MN. Aquaculture: principles and practices. Wiley-Blackwell 2005, ISBN 1405105321 p. 50</ref> Full-cycle culture of most grouper species, including the areolate grouper, is not yet possible, although several important advances have been made in recent years. For this reason, about two-thirds of all grouper culture, including culture of Epinephelus ''areolatus'' , involves the capture of wild grouper eggs which are then grown out in aquaculture. This is called capture based aquaculture (CBA). The wild eggs are gathered by a variety of artisianal methods, and because success is not predictable, the production varies as well.<ref name="Tupper, M. 2008. pp. 217"/> Commercial fishing for areolate grouper done with [[longline fishing|longlines]] and [[handline fishing|handlines]]. In Saudi Arabia, most of the catch is by small fishing vessels using traps.<ref>Tharwat AA, Al-Gaber AR. Fishery Traps (Gargours) in Saudi Territorial Waters of the Arabian Gulf JKAU: Marine Science 17:13-31, 2006 [http://www.kau.edu.sa/centers/spc/jkau/Doc/Mar/17/Fishery%20Traps%20(Gargours)%20in%20Saudi%20Territorial.pdf read online]</ref> While its popularity for food has led to some species of grouper being threatened, there is currently no threat to the survival of Epinephelus ''areolatus''.<ref>[http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/132774/0/biblio Epinephelus ''areolatus'' page on IUCN List of Threatened Species]</ref> The table at right shows the amount of areolate grouper produced by farming between 1992 and 2004 and the amount produced by capture in Saudi Arabia (Indian Ocean) between 1996 and 2004, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations<ref>Halwart M, Soto D, Arthur JR. Cage Aquaculture: regional reviews and global overview. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2007. ISBN 9251058016 p. 31; FAO Yearbook 2004: fishery statistics: capture production, Volume 98. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2006. ISBN 9250055153 pp. 155,459</ref> ==References== <references/> ==External links== *[http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org/googlelist.asp?page=182 Photos of many species of grouper] *[http://library.enaca.org/AquacultureAsia/Articles/april-june-2010/8-cage-culture-asia.pdf Photo of aquaculture farms in China in which grouper are raised, Aquaculture Asia Magazine April-June, 2010, p. 34] {{DEFAULTSORT:Areolate Grouper}} [[Category:Epinephelus]] [[zh-min-nan:Epinephelus areolatus]] [[ja:オオモンハタ]]'