Grouper Creek

Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.

Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: '' Epinephelus'' and '' Mycteroperca''. In addition, the species classified in the small genera ''Anyperidon'', ''Cromileptes'', ''Dermatolepis'', ''Graciela'', ''Saloptia'', and ''Triso'' are also called "groupers." Fish in the genus '' Plectropomus'' are referred to as "coral groupers." These genera are all classified in the subfamily Epiphelinae. However, some of the hamlets (genus ''Alphestes''), the hinds (genus ''Cephalopholis''), the lyretails (genus ''Variola''), and some other small genera (''Gonioplectrus'', ''Niphon'', ''Paranthias'') are also in this subfamily, and occasional species in other serranid genera have common names involving the word "grouper." Nonetheless, the word "grouper" on its own is usually taken as meaning the subfamily Epinephelinae.

Description

Groupers are teleosts, typically having a stout body and a large mouth. They are not built for long-distance, fast swimming. They can be quite large: in length, over a meter. The largest is the Atlantic goliath grouper (''Epinephelus itajara'') which has been weighed at and a length of , though in such a large group, species vary considerably. They swallow prey rather than biting pieces off of them. They do not have many teeth on the edges of their jaws, but they have heavy crushing tooth plates inside the pharynx. They habitually eat fish, octopuses, and crustaceans. Some species prefer to ambush their prey, while others are active predators. Reports of fatal attacks on humans by the largest species, such as the giant grouper (''Epinephelus lanceolatus''), are unconfirmed.

Their mouths and gills form a powerful vacuum that pulls their prey in from a distance. They also use their mouths to dig into sand to form their shelters under big rocks, jetting it out through their gills.

Research indicates roving coralgroupers (''Plectropomus pessuliferus'') sometimes cooperate with giant morays in hunting. Groupers are also one of the only animals that eat invasive red lionfish.

Systematics

Etymology

The word "grouper" is from the Portuguese name, ''garoupa'', which has been speculated to come from an indigenous South American language.

In Australia, "groper" is used instead of "grouper" for several species, such as the Queensland grouper (''Epinephelus lanceolatus''). In New Zealand, "groper" refers to a type of wreckfish, ''Polyprion oxygeneios'', which goes by the Māori name '' hāpuku''. In the Philippines, groupers are generally known as ''lapu-lapu'' in Luzon, while in the Visayas and Mindanao they are known as ''pugapo''. In the Middle East, the fish is known as ' hammour', and is widely eaten, especially in the Persian Gulf region. In Latin America, the fish is known as ' mero'.

The species in the tribes Grammistini and Diploprionini secrete a mucus-like toxin in their skin called grammistin, and when they are confined in a restricted space and subjected to stress, the mucus produces a foam that is toxic to nearby fish. These fishes are often called soapfishes. They have been classified either as their own families or within subfamilies,, although they are classified by the 5th Edition of the ''Fishes of the World'', classifies these two groups as tribes within the subfamily Epinephelinae.

Classification

According to the 5th edition of ''Fishes of the World,'' the subfamily is divided up into 5 tribes containing a total of 32 genera and 234 species.

Subfamily Epinephelinae Bleeker

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