Mycteroperca venenosa
Yellowfin Grouper
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Serranidae (Sea Basses and Groupers)
Mycteroperca
Mycteroperca venenosa (Yellowfin Grouper)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
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.
Learn more about our species accounts.
Characters
Rounded preoperculum; distal third of pectoral fin bright yellow; posterior naris slightly larger to twice as large as anterior naris; maxilla extends to posterior margin of orbit with straight ventral margin; supramaxilla well developed; well-developed canines in front of jaws; preoperculum evenly rounded or with slight notch above angle, posterior margin serrated; dorsal margin of operculum convex; gill rakers on first arch 24-27 (8-10 upper, 17-18 lower); head length 34%-38% SL, body depth 31%-34% SL; pectoral fin broadly rounded with 16-18 rays; dorsal fin XI, 15-16, membrane incised between spines; anal fin III, 10-12; caudal fin truncate in juveniles, concave in adults; midbody scales ctenoid in juveniles, cycloid in adults; lateral line scales 72-81; scales in horizontal series 111-125
Reddish in deep water, greenish in shallow water, with oblong dark blotches on head and body overlying small black spots; ventral sections of head and body with small dark red spots; caudal fin and rayed sections of dorsal and anal fins with dark margin and white edge
Distribution
Western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles
Uncommon in the northern Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Between 2 and 137 m; associated with rocky substrates, coral reefs, and muddy bottoms in the Gulf of Mexico; turtle-grass beds in shallow water for juveniles
Turtle-grass beds for juveniles; rocky substrates and coral reefs for adults; muddy bottoms
Biology
Squids and ray-finned fishes; squids are a minor resource
Maximum known size is 100 cm TL
Adults found on rocky and coral reefs, juveniles occur in shallow turtle grass beds. Also been taken in trawls over mud bottom in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Feeds mainly on fishes (mostly on coral reef species) and squids. Although often implicated in ciguatera poisonings, it is a desirable food fish; and even large (5 to 10 kg) fish from areas considered safe are sold in markets. Also caught with surface trolling. Sex-reversal has been observed (Ref. 5521).
Reproductive mode: protogyny; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT), assessed 2018-03-12. Resilience: Low (K=0.09-0.17; tmax=15; Fec=400,000).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Smith 1971
Smith 1997
Moore 1975a
Smith et al. 1975
Hoese and Moore 1977
Hoese and Moore 1998
Bullock and Smith 1991
Cervigón 1991
Boschung 1992
Heemstra and Randall 1993
Schaldach et al. 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Heemstra 2002c
Randall, J.E. (1967) Food habits of reef fishes of the West Indies. Stud. Trop. Oceanogr. Miami 5:665-847.
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.
Claro, R. (1994) Características generales de la ictiofauna. p. 55-70. In R. Claro (ed.) Ecología de los peces marinos de Cuba. Instituto de Oceanología Academia de Ciencias de Cuba and Centro de Investigaciones de Quintana Roo.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 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
Comments On Mycteroperca venenosa