Colombia country information

Common names: Cherna, Mero, Parulua
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: commercial | Ref: To be filled, 1997
Aquaculture: | Ref:
Regulations: | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments: Also Ref. 3708, 5217, 36754.
National Checklist:
Country Information: httpss://www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/co.html
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall, 1993
National Database:

Classification / Names

Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Perciformes (Perch-likes) > Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets) > Epinephelinae
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Common names from other countries

Mérou rayé, Cherna criolla, Grouper, ... more

Main reference

Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall. 1993. (Ref. 5222)
References | Biblio | Coordinator : Heemstra, Phillip C. | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 122 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 5227); max. published weight: 25.0 kg (Ref. 5222); max. reported age: 29 years (Ref. 45400)

Length at first maturity
L_m 48.0 range ? - ? cm

Environment

Marine; reef-associated; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); depth range 1 - 90 m (Ref. 5217)

Climate / Range

Tropical, preferred 26°C (Ref. 107945); 35°N - 34°S, 92°W - 34°W (Ref. 5222)

Distribution

Western Atlantic: Bermuda, Florida, Bahamas, Yucatan Peninsula and throughout the Caribbean to southern Brazil. Not known from the Gulf of Mexico except at the Campeche Bank off the coast of Yucatan, at Tortugas and off Key West.
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 12; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-18; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Caudal fin rounded in juveniles. Dorsal fin notched between forward spines; 3rd or 4th spine the longest. Bases of soft dorsal and anal fins covered with scales and thick skin; scales small and greatly overlapping. Ground color tawny in individuals in shallow water, shading to pinkish or red in those from deeper water, sometimes with an orange cast. Can change color pattern in a few minutes from almost white to uniformly dark brown depending on mood. Third and fourth vertical bars branch above lateral line forming a W-shaped mark. Several distinct black spots below and behind eye and a characteristic `tuning-fork shaped stripe on top of head, dividing just behind the orbits. (see also Refs. 5221, 5222, 5227 and 2458).

Occurs from the shoreline to at least 90 m depth. Usually close to caves (Ref. 9710). Juveniles are common in seagrass beds. Diet comprises mainly of fishes (54%) and crabs (23%) and lesser amounts of other crustaceans and mollusks. It is solitary and mainly diurnal; but may sometimes form schools. Spawns near the new moon with up to 30,000 aggregating at certain spawning sites (Ref. 9710). The least wary and most friendly of all the groupers (Ref. 5226). Heavily fished and vulnerable to overfishing, particularly when migrating or aggregating to spawn (Ref. 9710). The most important commercial grouper in the West Indies. Marketed fresh, mostly between 2 to 10 kg (Ref. 3708).

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 115185)

Endangered (EN) (A2ad), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group

Threat to humans

Reports of ciguatera poisoning (Ref. 30303)

Human uses

Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums

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

Estimates of some properties based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805)
PD₅₀ = 0.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Trophic Level (Ref. 69278)
4.1 ±0.0 se; Based on diet studies.

Resilience (Ref. 69278)
Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Musick et al. 2000 (Ref. 36717))

Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)
High vulnerability (63 of 100)

Price category (Ref. 80766)
High

Epinephelus striatus (Bloch, 1792)