The red hind (''Epinephelus guttatus''), also known as the koon or lucky grouper in Caribbean vernacular, 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 from the subfamily Epinephelinae 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, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is native to the western Atlantic Ocean where it ranges from the eastern United States to Brazil. It is the most common species of '' Epinephelus'' in the Caribbean.

Description

The red hind has a robust, compressed body which is 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 ...

, the standard length being 2.7 to 3.1 times the depth. The gill cover has three flat spines on its margin. The preopercle has a finely serrated margin and protrudes slightly near its lower edge. The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 15-16 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. It has a slightly convex tail. This species is greenish grey to light brown on its upper body fading to white on the lower body, with many well-spaced dull orange-red to brown spots covering the head, body and fins. There are five indistinct oblique bars made up of darker spots on the flanks. This species attains a maximum

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 , although they are more commonly around in length, and the maximum published weight is .

Distribution

The red hind is found in the Western Atlantic. Its range extends from

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and

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 ...

and along the eastern coast of the United States into 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 ...

and the Caribbean. Its range is said to extend south as far as Brazil but there are no confirmed records from south of Venezuela.

Habitat and biology

Red hinds inhabit coral reefs and rocky bottoms, the females remain close to the bottom, while the males patrol and defend an area from other males overlapping the home ranges of one to five female. Mantis shrimps make up over 15 percent of their diet. Crabs are the most common item on their diet, and fishes like Bluehead Wrasse, ''Thalassoma bifasciatum''; Boga, ''Inermia vittata''; goatfishes and small morays are included. Although they prefer shrimps and octopuses. Red Hind are protogynous hermaphrodites, changing from females to males during a stage in their life cycle. What triggers the change is unknown. In Puerto Rico, the fish gather in or near familiar spawning grounds along sections of the insular shelf during a one to two week period in association with the lunar cycles of January and February. In 1992, a tagged Red Hind traveled more than ten miles, crossing over water 600 feet deep, bypassing other aggregations, to spawn at a particular site. Not much is known about the species' early life stages. Though, on rare occasions, one to two inch juveniles are sighted sneaking about near cover on patch reefs in moderate depths. Most adults live for ten to eleven years.

Taxonomy

The red hind was first formally described as ''Perca guttata'' by

Carolus Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, th ...

in the 10th edition of his '' Systema Naturae'' in 1758.

Utilisation

The red hind is one of the most valuable commercial species in the Caribbean in terms of the numbers and total weight of landings. It is caught with spears, hook and line and traps. It is an esteemed food fish and, among other grouper species, it is exported from Mexico to the United States. It is also valued by recreational fisheries.

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q1826807 Epinephelus Fish described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Fish of the Caribbean