Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets) > Epinephelinae
Etymology: Cephalopholis: Greek, kephale = head + Greek, pholis = scale (Ref. 45335).

Environment / Climate / Range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; non-migratory; depth range 4 - 55 m (Ref. 5222), usually 15 - 20 m (Ref. 89707). Tropical, preferred 26°C (Ref. 107945); 33°N - 10°N, 32°E - 66°E (Ref. 5222)

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

Western Indian Ocean: only from the northern end of the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf and coast of Pakistan. Records from elsewhere are apparently based on misidentifications of other species. Misidentified as Cephalopholis miniatus by Kuronuma & Abe (1986, Ref. 5999) from Kuwait.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: L_m ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 35.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5222); common length : 23.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5450); max. reported age: 26 years (Ref. 1784)

Short description Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8-10; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10. distinguished by the following characteristics: body depth 2.7-3.0 in SL; head length 2.4-2.6 in SL; flat interorbital area; rounded preopercle, finely serrate, lower edge fleshy; distinctly convex upper edge of operculum; scaly maxilla, reaching to or somewhat beyond vertical at rear edge of eye; ctenoid body scales, without auxiliary scales (Ref. 089707).

In the Red Sea, it is often found on patchy open reef areas. Feeds diurnally on fishes (64%, mostly pomacentrids) and crustaceans (36%). It is a monogamous species, the pair jointly defends a common territory of up to 62 square m (Ref. 6480). Major threats include overfishing, lack of management and habitat loss (Ref. 089707).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Displays obligate monogamy where a one-to-one pair is established irrespective of resource abundance (Ref. 52884).

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator : Heemstra, Phillip C. | Collaborators

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. Rome: FAO. FAO Fish. Synop. 125(16):382 p. (Ref. 5222)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Near Threatened (NT)

CITES (Ref. 94142)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

Harmless

Human uses

Fisheries: subsistence fisheries

FAO(fisheries: production; publication : search) | FisheriesWiki | Sea Around Us

More information

Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
Occurrences
Introductions
Stocks
Ecology
Diet
Food items
Food consumption
Ration

Common names
Synonyms
Metabolism
Predators
Ecotoxicology
Reproduction
Maturity
Spawning
Fecundity
Eggs
Egg development

Age/Size
Growth
Length-weight
Length-length
Length-frequencies
Morphometrics
Morphology
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Recruitment
Abundance

References
Aquaculture
Aquaculture profile
Strains
Genetics
Allele frequencies
Heritability
Diseases
Processing
Mass conversion

Collaborators
Pictures
Stamps, Coins
Sounds
Ciguatera
Speed
Swim. type
Gill area
Otoliths
Brains
Vision

Tools

Special reports

Check for Aquarium maintenance | Check for Species Fact Sheets | Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

Download XML

Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

Cephalopholis hemistiktos (Rüppell, 1830)