Mycteroperca acutirostris
Western Comb Grouper
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Serranidae (Sea Basses and Groupers)
Mycteroperca
Mycteroperca acutirostris (Western Comb Grouper)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (Carpenter, K.E. (ed.) 2002. The living marine resources of the Western Central Atlantic. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fishery Purposes. FAO, Rome.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
It may contain errors in spelling, punctuation, or formatting.
When citing, please reference the original source rather than this page.
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Synonymy
None / Mycteroperca rubra (Bloch, 1793).
Characters
Body oblong, compressed, the depth contained 2.7 to 3.2 times, head length 2.5 to
2.7 times in st andard length (for 13 fish 10 to 34 cm st andard length); maxilla width 4.4 to 5.8% st andard length.
Interorbital area convex; preopercle angular, with serrae at the angle enlarged, forming a weak lobe; nostrils
subequal. Gill rakers on first arch 16 to 20 on upper limb, 32 to 36 on lower limb, total 48 to 55. Dorsal fin with
11 spines and 15 to 17 soft rays, interspinous membranes indented, the fin margin rounded posteri-
orly; anal fin with 3 spines and 10 to 12 soft rays, fin margin distinctly pointed in adults; pectoral-fin rays
15 to 17. Lateral-line scales 67 to 77; lateral-scale series 85 to 106. Colour: head and body greyish brown, cov-
ered with irregular white spots and blotches; 3 or 4 dark brown stripes radiating posteriorly from eye and con-
tinuing along ventral half of body as wavy dark stripes; a nother dark brown stripe continuing backwards from
maxillary streak to edge of preopercle; median fins darker than body and also with white spots and streaks; ju-
veniles less than 15 cm with a sm all black saddle on caudal peduncle; large adults mostly uni form greyish.
Body shape: fusiform / normal. Distinguished by the following characteristics: greyish brown color of head and body with irregular white spots and blotches; 3-4 dark brown stripes radiating posteriorly from the eye and continuing along the ventral half of the body as wavy dark stripes; dark brown stripe from maxillary streak to edge of preopercle; darker median fins with white spots and streaks; oblong and compressed body, depth of body 2.7-3.2 times in SL; head length 2.5-2.7 times in SL; width of maxilla 4.4-5.8% of SL; convex interorbital area; angular preopercle, enlarged serrae at the angle, forming a weak lobe; subequal sizes of anterior and posterior nostrils (Ref. 89707). Striking features: none.
Distribution
Northwestern Gulf of Mexico (where it is r are), Cuba, Jamaica, Virgin Isl ands, Leeward Isl ands,
Panama, Colombia, Venezuela (abundant at Isla Margarita and adjacent isl ands), Curaçao, and Brazil (com-
mon along south coast). Repor ts of
Mycteroperca acutirostris (as ‘Mycteroperca
rubra’) from Bermuda are unsubstantiated. Va-
lenciennes’ (1837: 11; 1843: Pl. 3, Fig. 1) refer-
ence to ‘Serranus acutirostris’ at the Canary
Isl ands is probably a misidentification of
Mycteroperca fusca (Lowe, 1836).
Note: The Venezuelan name for Mycteroperca
acutirostris is ‘cuna negra’. Mycteropterca rubra
is confined to the eastern Atlantic and Mediterra-
nean.
Habitat Associations
Juveniles occur in turtle grass beds, mangrove areas, and in sh allow water
amongst soft corals and coral reefs; adults are found on rocky bottoms with high relief. Probably feeds on zoo-
plankton, but no in formation is available on the food of M. acutirostris. Caught mainly with
traps. Flesh excellent.
Biology
Maximum total length 80 cm; maximum weight probably around 4 kg.
Maximum depth from Ref. 126840. Juveniles inhabit turtle grass beds, mangrove areas, and shallow waters among soft corals and coral reefs. Adults are found on rocky bottoms with high relief. Probably feeds on plankton (no information is available on the food of this species). The max weight of 4 kg given in Ref. 5222 appears too low. The species is a popular game fish in southern Brazil for both spear fishermen and rod-and-reel anglers. Fish of 4-7 kg are common, with the spear fishing record at 10.1 kg (Capt. Eduardo Baumeier, pers. comm., 2001).
Reproductive mode: protogyny; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2016-11-20. Resilience: Low (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Of considerable commercial impor-
tance in the Venezuelan fishery where it is the most abundant species of Mycteroperca.
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.
Lieske, E. and R. Myers (1994) Collins Pocket Guide. Coral reef fishes. Indo-Pacific & Caribbean including the Red Sea. Haper Collins Publishers, 400 p.
Sazima, I., C. Sazima, R.B. Francini-Filho and R.L. Moura (2000) Daily cleaning activity and diversity of clients of the barber goby, Elacatinus figaro, on rocky reefs in southeastern Brazil. Environ. Biol. Fishes 59(1):69-77.
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
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