Blue-and-yellow grouper - Maldives Biodiversity Association

Species Details

Details of Blue-and-yellow grouper will be displayed below

Home
/
Species
/
Blue-and-yellow grouper

Blue-and-yellow gr...

Common Name: Blue And Yellow Grouper, Blue-and-yellow Grouper, Blue And Yellow Reef Cod, Yellotail Reef Cod, Yellowfin Grouper, Yellowtail Rockcod
Scientific Name: Epinephelus flavocaeruleus
Local Name: Dhon'noo'faana
Dhivehi Name: ދޮންނޫފާނަ

Animalia (Kingdom)

Chordata (Plylum)

Actinopterygii (Class)

Perciformes (Order)

Serranidae (Family)

Epinephelus (Genus)

Blue-and-yellow grouper's description

The blue-and-yellow grouper is a middle sized fish, it can grow up to a maximum length of 90 cm but average size is usually around 45 cm. It has a massive body, compressed laterally and its global aspect is rounded. Adult, this grouper has a blue-grey background color, from an individual to another the background color intensity can vary from light blue-grey to dark blue, some grouper can also have grey glitters on the body, all the fins are yellow and a yellow mustache is present on the upper lip. The youth grouper has on the anterior part of its body a blue-grey color and the rest of the body is yellow.

Dorsal spines (total): 11, Dorsal soft rays (total): 16-17, Anal spines: 3, Anal soft rays: 8.

Adults have yellow fins. Small juveniles about half blue, half yellow; distinguished by having sky blue color of head and body in juveniles to dark bluish violet or dark greyish blue in adults; yellow upper lip; ctenoid scales on body except cycloid scales anterodorsally above lateral line and on thorax and abdomen; body of adult with numerous auxiliary scales; moderately deep bodied, greatest depth 2.4-2.8 in SL; truncate to slightly emarginate caudal fin; pelvic fins 1.7-2.0 in head length; further characterized by having head length 2.4-2.7 times in SL; preorbital depth 6.8-8.8 times in head length for fish 36-66 cm SL; interorbital area convex; adults posterior nostrils 4-5 times larger than anterior nostrils; subangular preopercle, serrae at angle enlarged; straight to slightly convex upper edge of operculum; maxilla reaches to or slightly past vertical at rear edge of eye; 2-4 rows of teeth on midlateral part of lower jaw.

Blue-and-yellow grouper's facts

Did you know?

This species can change gender from female to male. When a male is needed, a female changes sex and takes on the role.

Blue-and-yellow grouper's Behavior & Ecology

Blue-and-yellow Grouper can be seen in depth range 10 - 150 m and is solitary and sedentary, it's defending a well bounded territory. Juveniles inhabit shallow reefs while adults are found on deeper reefs.

Blue-and-yellow grouper's Feeding

Blue-and-yellow Grouper hunts from a hide its preys rather at dusk. Like other groupers, it's carnivorous and its diet is mainly many different fishes, crustaceans and squids.

Blue-and-yellow grouper's Relationship with Humans

This species not so common in Maldives but is occasionally taken by fishermen.

Blue-and-yellow grouper habitat

This species inhabits coral and rocky reefs. Juveniles inhabit shallower reefs while adults are found on deeper coral and rocky reefs from 10 to 150 metres depth. It has also been infrequently reported from seagrass beds in northern Mozambique (Gell and Whittington 2002). Its maximum total length is at least 90 cm. It consumes a variety of fish, crabs, shrimps, spiny lobsters, squids and small octopi (Morgans 1964). This species may be slow-growing, and is possibly protogynous. Females reach maturity at about 50 cm (Morgans 1982).

Blue-and-yellow grouper threats

Coral reef degradation caused by destructive fishing practices, sediment run-off and bleaching events may impact this species. Fishing pressure could cause population declines for this species in some areas, especially fishing pressure in general is expected to increase in this region (e.g., Martosubroto 2005, Cunningham and Bodiguel 2006, Morgan 2006, Flewwelling and Hosch 2006, Samoilys et al. 2017). Since the majority of fishing pressure occurs on shallower reefs, the deeper portion of this species’ range is likely less exploited, particularly by small-scale fishers. There are no known major threats impacting the species on a global-level at this time.