Epinephelus labriformis
Flag Cabrilla
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Serranidae (Sea Basses and Groupers)
Epinephelus
Epinephelus labriformis (Flag Cabrilla)
Description
This species account was compiled from
FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2025. FishBase. World Wide Web electronic publication. www.fishbase.org, version 04/2025.)
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Characters
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Distinguished by the following characteristics: olive green to reddish brown with scattered irregular white and brown spots and blotches; white triangle at the margin of the interspinous dorsal-fin membranes and bright white tag at the tip of each spine; juveniles with black spots on the top of head and median fins reddish distally with white edge; small black saddle on peduncle; inside of mouth is red; depth of body contained 2.7-3.1 times in SL; head length 2.2-2.5 times in SL; flat interorbital area; rounded preopercle, finely serrate, slightly enlarged ventral serrae; smooth subopercle and interopercle; slightly convex upper edge of operculum; subequal anterior and posterior nostrils (Ref. 89707). Striking features: none.
Distribution
Eastern Pacific: Baja California, Mexico to Peru, including the offshore islands of Cocos, Revillagigedo, and the Galapagos Islands.
Habitat Associations
Marine. demersal. depth range 1-50 m. Found in: coral reefs.
Biology
Adults are most abundant in shallow water and also occurs to a depth of at least 30 m. Inhabits rocky area of coastal waters within continental shelf (Ref. 11035). A solitary predator that seems to feed on smaller fishes by day and crustaceans after dark. Spawning occurs in late summer (Ref. 5592).
Max length: 60.0 cm TL.
Reproductive mode: protogyny; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2016-12-09. Resilience: Low (tmax=23; k=0.25).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
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.
CENAIM (1992) A field guide to the edible fishes and shellfishes in coastal waters of Ecuador. Centro Nacional de Acuicultura e Investigaciones Marinas (CENAIM), Ecuador. 95 p.
Craig, M.T., YJ. Sadovy de Mitcheson and P.C. Heemstra (2011) Groupers of the world: a field and market guide. North America: CRC Press/Taylor and Francis Group, xix, 356 p., A47 pages appendix. DOI: 10.1201-/9780429087899
Robertson, D.R. and G.R. Allen (2015) Shorefishes or the tropical eastern Pacific online information system: Fishes. Version 2.0. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama. [Accessed 09/10/2015].
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