Nassau Grouper

1. Nassau Grouper Epinephelusstriatus

2. Almost always 5-6 olive stripes • 4 feet long

3. Phylum Chordata • Subphylum vertebrata • Superclass gnathostomata • Class osteichthyes • Subclass actinopterygii • Infraclass teleostei • Superorder acanthopterygii • Order perciformes • Family Serranidae

4. Family Serranidae • Distinguishing characteristics • All carniverous • Typically ambush predators • Even brightly colored species are camouflaged

6. Diet • Only the largest reef predators can eat the Nassau Grouper • Sharks • Barracudas • humans • Completely carnivorous • Fish • Crabs • Whatever can fit inside their mouth

8. Habitat, where are they found We will see them in Hol Chan (marine protected area) on the last day.

9. Size/structure • About 5 olive stripes • Very large • Large mouth

12. spawning • Travel to specific locations for spawning aggregations • December during the full moon at dusk

14. Spawning color change • Normal- typical coloration present in early morning • Bicolor- upper sides of fish become dark and lower side is light in late afternon • White belly- some females retain normal color but their abdomens turn white • Dark- spawning and courting fish turn completely dark. This indicates that they are ready to spawn.

16. Sex change • Begin life as females • Change to males later

18. Fishing and endangerment

19. Ocean Surgeonfish Acanthurusbahianus

21. Phylum Chordata • Subphylum vertebrata • Superclass gnathostomata • Class osteichthyes • Subclass actinopterygii • Infraclass teleostei • Superorder acanthopterygii • Order perciformes • Family Acanthuridae

22. Family Acanthuridae • Mostly reef fishes • Scalpel-like spines • Thorn tails • Small mouths with single rows of teeth for grazing on algae

23. Habitat

25. Diet • All acanthurids can eat algae with their specialized scraping mouths • Ocean surgeonfish can break down coral in their muscular stomachs