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Epinephelus akaara (Temminck & Schlegel, 1842)

Hong Kong grouper
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Epinephelus akaara   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Epinephelus akaara (Hong Kong grouper)
Epinephelus akaara
Picture by Randall, J.E.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Perciformes/Serranoidei (Groupers) > Epinephelidae (Groupers)
Etymology: Epinephelus: Greek, epinephelos = cloudy (Ref. 45335).
More on authors: Temminck & Schlegel.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 55 m (Ref. 89707). Tropical; 39°N - 20°N, 109°E - 143°E (Ref. 5222)

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

Northwest Pacific: southern China, Taiwan, East China Sea, Korea, and southern Japan (Kyushu to about 38°N on both coasts of Honshu). Reported specimen from Viet Nam may be Epinephelus fasciatomaculosus and records from the Philippines and India are unsubstantiated.

Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?, range 23 - ? cm
Max length : 58.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 89707); common length : 30.0 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 2852); max. published weight: 2.5 kg (Ref. 40637)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. Distinguished by the following characteristics: head and body pale brownish grey, covered with small red, orange or gold spots except on ventral side; 6 faint oblique dark bars on body; dark brown blotch on body at base of the 3 dorsal fin spines; dorsal fin margin yellow or orange; row of dusky yellow or orange spots along middle of the spinous dorsal fin and another row along the base of the fin; faint red or orange spots at caudal and anal fins; body depth less than head length, 2.7-3.2 times in SL; head length 2.3-2.6 times in SL; preopercle with enlarged serrae at angle; upper edge of operculum straight; subequal posterior and anterior nostril; maxilla reaching about to vertical at rear edge of eye; two rows of teeth at midside of lower jaw; pelvic fins not reaching anus; caudal fin rounded; lateral body scales ctenoid, with auxiliary in adults (Ref. 089707).

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

Rock-reef species inhabiting depths to at least 55 m. Juveniles are often found shallower than 10 m (Ref. 089707). A highly prized food fish usually caught by hand-lining over rock strata. Found in Hong Kong live fish markets (Ref. 27253).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | 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. 130435)

  Endangered (EN) (A2d); Date assessed: 20 November 2016

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial
FAO - Aquaculture systems: production; ; Publication: search | FishSource | Sea Around Us

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturities
Fecundities
Spawnings
Spawning aggregations
Egg(s)
Egg developments
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Distribution
Countries
FAO areas
Ecosystems
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Introductions
BRUVS - Videos
Anatomy
Gill areas
Brains
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
Swimming type
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
Fish sounds
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
Genetics
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
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References

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Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | BOLDSystems | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Aquaculture systems: production; ; Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GenBank: genome, nucleotide | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | MitoFish | National databases | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 16 - 25.5, mean 20.6 °C (based on 178 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01445 (0.00751 - 0.02781), b=3.06 (2.90 - 3.22), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & Genus-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  4.0   ±0.65 se; based on food items.
Generation time: 4.2 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 1 growth studies.
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Assuming tm=2).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Moderate vulnerability (38 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Very high.
Nutrients (Ref. 124155):  Calcium = 25.5 [12.5, 53.6] mg/100g; Iron = 0.46 [0.25, 0.94] mg/100g; Protein = 18.6 [17.1, 20.0] %; Omega3 = 0.12 [0.08, 0.19] g/100g; Selenium = 34.3 [20.5, 60.7] μg/100g; VitaminA = 184 [52, 657] μg/100g; Zinc = 1.24 [0.87, 1.73] mg/100g (wet weight);