EPINEPHELUS HOWLANDI - (GUNTHER, 1873)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Perciformes (Order) > Percoidei (Suborder) > Epinephelidae (Family) > Epinephelus (Genus)
Mérou sellé noir, Mérou tapis, Blacksaddle grouper, Blacksaddle rockcod, Blacksaddled cod, Howland island rock cod, Mero montura negra, Hiregurohata, ヒレグロハタ, 斑吻石斑鱼, 大斑石斑鱼,
Synonymes
Epinephelus spilotus (Schultz, 1953)
Serranus howlandi (Günther, 1873)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Pectoral fin rays: 17-19 (rarely: 19); Lateral line scales: 49-52; Longitudinal scale series: 85-102; Scales on body cycloid (ctenoid beneath pectoral fins); Total gill rakers: 23-26 (usually: 25); Body depth: 2.9-3.3 in SL; Body width: 1.7-2.1 in depth; Head long: 2.2-2.5 times in SL; Flat interorbital area, convex dorsal head profile; Rounded preopercle, slightly enlarged serrae at angle; Maxilla reaches past vertical at rear edge of eye; Pyloric caeca: 13. Teeth on midside of lower jaw in tow rows; 2-4 rows of teeth on the midlateral part of lower jaw; Snout short: 4.25-5.0 in HL. Max. length: 55.0 cm TL. Depth range: 1 - 37 m.
Color
Head and body pale grey or brownish grey, covered with small brownish black spots with diffuse edges, separated from adjacent spots by spaces equal to or greater than width of the spots; Body with black saddle blotch, smaller black saddle blotch on the caudal peduncle; Dusky margins of the soft dorsal, caudal and anal fins, with white line along edge; Median and pelvic fins with dark spots; Dusky pectoral fins with few dark spots basally.
Etymology
Epinephelus: from prefix Greek, epi = upon, on, over, near, at, before, after + from Greek, Nephos = cloud. Referring to film or membrane eye of most if not all groupers known to Bloch (although modern accounts mention only a transparent cornea protruding slightly through the orbit); Bloch also provided three vernacular names that describe the eyes: Blödaugen, German for “stupid eyes” or “bleary eyes,” depending on the translation, the English “Wall-eye,” and the French Tayes (per Bloch 1797), from taie, an opaque spot on the cornea.
howlandi: from the type locality, Howland Island. It is an uninhabited coral island located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, about 1,700 nautical miles (3,100 km) southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia and is an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the United States.
Original description: Serranus howlandi Günther, 1873 - Type locality: Howland Island, 0°48'N, 176°38'W, central Pacific.
Distribution
Western and South Pacific: China Sea and southern Japan throughout the west-central Pacific east to the Line Islands, south to Australia, New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island.
Mérou sellé noir, Mérou tapis, Blacksaddle grouper, Blacksaddle rockcod, Blacksaddled cod, Howland island rock cod, Mero montura negra, Hiregurohata, ヒレグロハタ, 斑吻石斑鱼, 大斑石斑鱼,
Synonymes
Epinephelus spilotus (Schultz, 1953)
Serranus howlandi (Günther, 1873)
---------------------------
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Pectoral fin rays: 17-19 (rarely: 19); Lateral line scales: 49-52; Longitudinal scale series: 85-102; Scales on body cycloid (ctenoid beneath pectoral fins); Total gill rakers: 23-26 (usually: 25); Body depth: 2.9-3.3 in SL; Body width: 1.7-2.1 in depth; Head long: 2.2-2.5 times in SL; Flat interorbital area, convex dorsal head profile; Rounded preopercle, slightly enlarged serrae at angle; Maxilla reaches past vertical at rear edge of eye; Pyloric caeca: 13. Teeth on midside of lower jaw in tow rows; 2-4 rows of teeth on the midlateral part of lower jaw; Snout short: 4.25-5.0 in HL. Max. length: 55.0 cm TL. Depth range: 1 - 37 m.
Color
Head and body pale grey or brownish grey, covered with small brownish black spots with diffuse edges, separated from adjacent spots by spaces equal to or greater than width of the spots; Body with black saddle blotch, smaller black saddle blotch on the caudal peduncle; Dusky margins of the soft dorsal, caudal and anal fins, with white line along edge; Median and pelvic fins with dark spots; Dusky pectoral fins with few dark spots basally.
Etymology
Epinephelus: from prefix Greek, epi = upon, on, over, near, at, before, after + from Greek, Nephos = cloud. Referring to film or membrane eye of most if not all groupers known to Bloch (although modern accounts mention only a transparent cornea protruding slightly through the orbit); Bloch also provided three vernacular names that describe the eyes: Blödaugen, German for “stupid eyes” or “bleary eyes,” depending on the translation, the English “Wall-eye,” and the French Tayes (per Bloch 1797), from taie, an opaque spot on the cornea.
howlandi: from the type locality, Howland Island. It is an uninhabited coral island located just north of the equator in the central Pacific Ocean, about 1,700 nautical miles (3,100 km) southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia and is an unincorporated, unorganized territory of the United States.
Original description: Serranus howlandi Günther, 1873 - Type locality: Howland Island, 0°48'N, 176°38'W, central Pacific.
Distribution
Western and South Pacific: China Sea and southern Japan throughout the west-central Pacific east to the Line Islands, south to Australia, New Caledonia and Lord Howe Island.
Biology
Usually found over rocky areas or on coral reefs. Feeds on fishes and crustaceans (shrimps and crab) with occasional molluscs or worms. Nothing has been published on its biology. Sexual maturity reached at 250 mm TL in females in New Caledonia. Appears to be very rare and therefore of little commercial importance. In Hong Kong live fish markets.
Similar species
Epinephelus corallicola (Valenciennes, 1828) - Reported from New Caledonia. Link to the species (here). Epinephelus howlandi is distinguished from Epinephelus corallicola by a higher density of brown spots, a shorter head and a lighter background color.
Epinephelus macrospilos (Bleeker, 1855) - Reported from New Caledonia. Epinephelus howlandi is distinguished from Epinephelus macrospilos by the presence of a black blotch at the base of the dorsal fin and of a rounder head.
Last update: 26, November 2022
Usually found over rocky areas or on coral reefs. Feeds on fishes and crustaceans (shrimps and crab) with occasional molluscs or worms. Nothing has been published on its biology. Sexual maturity reached at 250 mm TL in females in New Caledonia. Appears to be very rare and therefore of little commercial importance. In Hong Kong live fish markets.
Similar species
Epinephelus corallicola (Valenciennes, 1828) - Reported from New Caledonia. Link to the species (here). Epinephelus howlandi is distinguished from Epinephelus corallicola by a higher density of brown spots, a shorter head and a lighter background color.
Epinephelus macrospilos (Bleeker, 1855) - Reported from New Caledonia. Epinephelus howlandi is distinguished from Epinephelus macrospilos by the presence of a black blotch at the base of the dorsal fin and of a rounder head.
Last update: 26, November 2022