The tiger grouper (''Mycteroperca tigris'') 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 Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...

from the subfamily

Epinephelinae Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...

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 The Serranidae are a large family of fishes belonging to the order Perciformes. The family contains about 450 species in 65 genera, including the sea basses and the groupers (subfamily Epinephelinae). Although many species are small, in some ca ...

, which also includes the

anthias Anthias are members of the family Serranidae and make up the subfamily Anthiinae. Anthias make up a sizeable portion of the population of pink, orange, and yellow reef fishes seen swarming in most coral reef photography and film. The name Anthi ...

and sea basses. It is found in the warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

Description

The tiger grouper has a body which is elongate, robust and compressed, its depth being the no greater 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 ...

as it is at the origin of the anal fin, and a large mouth. The standard length is 3.1 to 3.6 times the depth of the body. The preopercle is rounded and does not have a lobe at its angle. The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 15-17 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 11 soft rays. The membranes between the dorsal fin spines are obviously notched. The

caudal fin Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as ...

is a straight in juveniles and slightly concave in adults. The upper body is dark and there are 9 to 11 thin, pale oblique lines. It is capable of dramatic changes in colour, as well as lightening or darkening its colour. It can even sometimes be bright red in colour, particularly when being attended to by

cleaner fish Cleaner fish are fish that show a specialist feeding strategy by providing a service to other species, referred to as clients, by removing dead skin, ectoparasites, and infected tissue from the surface or gill chambers. This example of cleaning ...

. The juveniles are yellow with a dusky line along the flanks. This species attains a

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 commonly around , and a maximum published weight of .

Distribution

The tiger grouper is found in the western Atlantic Ocean from southeastern

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

and the Bahamas, as well as the Flower Garden Banks in the north, southwards through the

Caribbean Sea The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...

to the

Maroni River The Maroni or Marowijne (french: link=no, Maroni, nl, Marowijne, Sranan Tongo: ''Marwina-Liba'') is a river in South America that forms the border between French Guiana and Suriname. Course The Maroni runs through the Guianan moist fores ...

French Guiana French Guiana ( or ; french: link=no, Guyane ; gcr, label=French Guianese Creole, Lagwiyann ) is an overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France on the northern Atlantic coast of South America in the Guianas. ...

. A disjunct population occurs in Brazil where they are found from Ceara State to

Rio de Janeiro State Rio de Janeiro () is one of the 27 federative units of Brazil. It has the second largest economy of Brazil, with the largest being that of the state of São Paulo. The state, which has 8.2% of the Brazilian population, is responsible for 9.2% of ...

Habitat and biology

The tiger grouper is a solitary species which is found on coral reefs and in rocky areas. It is an ambush predator of smaller fishes. It hides among coral and sponges and is attempts to remain concealed, even when approached. It attaneds the cleaning stations of cleaner fish. The population around Bermuda has a size distribution and sex ratio which suggest that tiger groupers are

protogynous hermaphrodite Sequential hermaphroditism (called dichogamy in botany) is a type of hermaphroditism that occurs in many fish, gastropods, and plants. Sequential hermaphroditism occurs when the individual changes its sex at some point in its life. In particular, ...

s, all of the fish with a total length less than were female and all of the fish with a total length greater than were male. They are found at depths of . It is known to form

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquat ...

aggregations in the northern part of its range but these have not been recorded off Brazil.

Taxonomy

The tiger grouper was first formally described as ''Serranus tigris'' in 1833 by the French

zoologist Zoology ()The pronunciation of zoology as is usually regarded as nonstandard, though it is not uncommon. is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and d ...

Achille Valenciennes (1794-1865) with the type locality given as San Domingo.

Utilisation

The tiger grouper is targeted by fisheries throughout its range. It is caught using handlines and by spear fishing.

References

External links

* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q2755475 tiger grouper Fauna of the Southeastern United States Fish of the Western Atlantic tiger grouper Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxa named by Achille Valenciennes