The marbled grouper (''Dermatolepis inermis''), donkey fish, mutton hamlet, rockhind and sicklefish grouper, is a species of marine

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fishes, is a class of bony fish. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. The ray-finned fishes are so called because their fins are webs of skin supported by bony or h ...

, a

grouper 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 ...

from the subfamily

Epinephelinae 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 ...

which is part of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Serranidae The Serranidae are a large family of fishes belonging to the order Perciformes. The family contains about 450 species in 65 genera, including the sea basses and the groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae). Although many species are small, in some ca ...

, which also includes the

anthias Anthias are members of the family Serranidae and make up the subfamily Anthiinae. Anthias make up a sizeable portion of the population of pink, orange, and yellow reef fishes seen swarming in most coral reef photography and film. The name Anthi ...

and sea basses. It is a predatory reef fish which is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Description

The marbled grouper has a body which is at least twice as deep as its standard length which is at its deepest at the origin of the

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through c ...

and laterally compressed. It has a long snout and the dorsal profile of the head is steep. The dorsal fin has 11 spines and 18-20 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8-9 soft rays, the

pectoral fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

is large. The adults are yellowish brown marked with numerous small dark brown spots on the head, body and fins and pale blotches on the head and body. The juveniles are dark brown through to black, marked with an irregular scattering of white blotches on the head and body. It attains a maximum recorded

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology. Overall length * Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish ...

of and a maximum weight of , although is a more common length.

Distribution

The marbled grouper is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean from

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...

south along the eastern coast of the United States to the Bahamas, in the

Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico ( es, Golfo de México) is an ocean basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, largely surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United ...

it is distributed from northwestern Cuba north to Alabama and the Flower Garden Banks, having also been recorded over

salt dome A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when salt (or other evaporite minerals) intrudes into overlying rocks in a process known as diapirism. Salt domes can have unique surface and subsurface structures, and they can be discovered usin ...

s in the United States territorial waters of the northern Gulf. In the Caribbean Sea it occurs from Cuba to

Tobago Tobago () is an List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, island and Regions and municipalities of Trinidad and Tobago, ward within the Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is located northeast of the larger island of Trini ...

, as well as

Guanaja Guanaja is one of the Bay Islands of Honduras and is in the Caribbean. It is about off the north coast of Honduras, and from the island of Roatan. One of the cays off Guanaja, also called Guanaja or Bonacca or Low Cay (or just simply, The C ...

Island in Honduras. Off the coast of South America it is found from Santa Marta in Colombia to Guyana and then off Brazil from Sao Luis to

Sao Paulo SAO or Sao may refer to: Places * Sao civilisation, in Middle Africa from 6th century BC to 16th century AD * Sao, a town in Boussé Department, Burkina Faso * Saco Transportation Center (station code SAO), a train station in Saco, Maine, U ...

, including the Trindade and

Fernando de Noronha Fernando de Noronha () is an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, and located off the Brazilian coast. It consists of 21 islands and islets, extending over an area of . Only the eponymous main island is in ...

Islands,

Rocas Atoll The Rocas Atoll ( pt, Atol das Rocas ) is the only atoll in the South Atlantic Ocean. It belongs to the Brazilian State of Rio Grande do Norte. It is located approximately northeast of Natal and west of the Fernando de Noronha archipelago. The ...

, Parcel Manuel Luiz and Abrolhos Bank.

Habitat and biology

The marbled grouper normally occurs on deep ledges, at depths between as well as on reefs, where it is usually found in caves or deep crevices. It is a solitary species which is secretie, nervously darting off when it is approached or threatened. Its biology is little known but it is assumed that it forms aggregations for

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquat ...

like other groupers. The juveniles have been observed hiding among the spines of sea urchins.

Taxonomy

The marbled grouper was first formally described as ''Serranus inermis'' in 1833 by the French

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

Achille Valenciennes (1794-1865) with the type locality given as the

Antilles The Antilles (; gcf, label=Antillean Creole, Antiy; es, Antillas; french: Antilles; nl, Antillen; ht, Antiy; pap, Antias; Jamaican Patois: ''Antiliiz'') is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mex ...

Uitilisation and conservation

The marbled grouper has been described as being of little interest to fisheries but its flesh is esteemed in Brazil and it is sometimes taken by both anglers and commercial fisheries. Exploitation of spawning aggregations may me a threat to some populations. The IUCN classify it as Data Deficient due to a lack of information on its population. The population of this naturally rare and sparsely distributed species is, however, suspected to be decreasing.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2696873 marbled grouper Fauna of the Southeastern United States Fish of the Gulf of Mexico Fish of the Caribbean Fish of Brazil Fish of the Western Atlantic marbled grouper Taxonomy articles created by Polbot