![]() ![]() They spawn on a lunar cycle, with spawns lasting about 7 days. Like most groupers, giant groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites. They are not generally considered dangerous to humans but divers are advised to treat large specimens with caution and not to hand feed them. They are, however, curious and frequently approach divers closely. This species is normally solitary and long-lived. Fish living in estuarine environments in South Africa were found to be feeding almost exclusively on the crab Scylla serrata. Fish which inhabit coral reefs and rocky areas favour spiny lobsters as prey and a 177 centimetres (70 in) specimen taken off Maui in Hawaii had a stomach contents of two spiny lobsters and a number of crabs. The giant grouper is an opportunistic ambush predator which feeds on a variety of fishes, as well as small sharks, juvenile sea turtles, crustaceans and molluscs which are all swallowed whole. They have also been caught in turbid water over silt or mud sea beds by prawn fishermen. ![]() ![]() The adults are mainly solitary and hold territories on the outer reef and in lagoons. They are found in caves and in wrecks while the secretive juveniles occur in reefs and are infrequently observed. Large specimens have been caught from shore and in harbours. It is associated with reefs and is the largest known bony fish found on reefs. The giant grouper is a species of shallow water and can be found at depths of 1 to 100 metres (3.3 to 328.1 ft). It has been listed as a potential invasive species in the Bahamas but its presence in that region requires verification. It is absent from the Persian Gulf but it is present off the coast of Pakistan and southern Oman. There have also been reports from the Younghusband Peninsula in South Australia and north eastern New Zealand. It also occurs around Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve in the Tasman Sea. In Australia it is found from Rottnest Island in Western Australia north and east along the tropical coasts of Australia, including offshore reefs, and then south along the eastern coast to Woy Woy, New South Wales. They occur as far north as southern Japan and as far south as Australia. It occurs from the Red Sea and the eastern coasts of Africa as far south as Algoa Bay in South Africa and across the Indian Ocean into the Western Pacific Ocean as far east as the Pitcairn Islands and Hawaii. The giant grouper has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution, it is the most widely distributed species of grouper in the world. The giant grouper can grow to huge size with the maximum recorded standard length being 270 centimetres (110 in), although they are more common around 180 centimetres (71 in), and a maximum published weight of 400 kilograms (880 lb). The small juveniles are yellow with wide, dark irregular bars and irregular dark spots on their fins. The adults are greyish-brown in colour overlain with a mottled pattern and with darker fins. There are 54 to 62 scales in its lateral line. There are 11 spines and 14-16 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The gill cover has a convex upper margin. The dorsal profile of the head and the intraorbital area are convex, The propercle has a rounded corner and a finely serrated margin. The giant grouper has a robust body which has a standard length equivalent to 2.4 to 3.4 times its depth. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |