Mycteroperca rubra ( BLOCH, 1793 )

Heemstra, P. C., 1991, A Taxonomic Revision Of The Eastern Atlantic Groupers (Pisces: Serranidae), Bol. Mus. Mun. Funchal 43 (226), pp. 5-71 : 53-54

Mycteroperca rubra ( BLOCH, 1793)

Fig. 15

Epinephelus ruber BLOCH, 1793: 22 , Pl. 331 (type locality probably eastern Atlantic or Mediterranean; given erroneously by BLOCH as "Japan"; holotype ZMB 161, 130 mm.).

? Serranus nebulosus Cocco, 1833: 21 (type locality, Messina; holotype not located; preoccupied by Serranus nebulosus VALENCIENNES, 1828 ).

? Serranus tinca CANTRAINE, 1835: 207 (type locality, Messina; holotype not located).

Cerna macrogenis SASS ], 1846: 139 (type locality, Ligurian Sea; ‘holotype not located).

? Serranus armatus OSORIO, 1895: 174 (type locality, eastern Atlantic, São Tomé; holotype destroyed in the fire of 1978 at the Museu Bocage).

Diagnosis: Dorsal fin XI, 15- 17; anal fin III,11 - 12; pectoral fin rays 16- 17; lateral-line scales 69-76; lateral scale series 94-108; gill-rakers 16- 18 + 28-31, total 44-49 (including 1 or 2 rudiments on each limb). Body oblong, compressed, the depth less than head length, contained 2.8-3.2 times in standard length (for fish 17- 59 cm. SL); head length 2.5-2.7 times in SL; maxilla width 3.8-4.5 % SL for fish 17-37 cm. SL, 4.8 % SL for a fish of 59 cm. SL. Caudal fin margin convex in juveniles less than about 20 cm. SL, truncate in fish of 20-50 cm. SL, and concave in adults over 50 cm. SL; dorsal fin interspinous membranes distinctly indented, the posterior margin of fin founded; anal fin margin angular in adults. Interorbital area convex; preopercle serrae enlarged at the angle, forming a rounded lobe set off by the indentation immediately above; nostrils subequal in juveniles, the diameter of rear nostrils about twice that of front ones in a fish of 59 cm. SL.

Colour: Generally uniform reddish brown; sometimes mottled with blackish or pale grey spots; a black streak above maxilla. Juveniles with a black saddle blotch on peduncle. BAUCHOT and PRAS (1980: Pl. 10) show a brownish fish with irregular white spots and blotches on body, dorsal part of head and dorsal fin; 2 dark stripes from eye towards pectoral fin.

Maximum total length at least 80 cm.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Continental shores of the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Portugal to southern Angola. Probably all of the records of " Mycteroperca rubra " from the Mediterranean and shores. of Europe and Africa are based on this species.

REMARKS

Rocky and sandy bottoms in depths of 15 -200 m. In the Mediterranean, it does not seem to be as common as species of Epinephelus . BOUAIN et al. (1983) state that it is rare in Tunisian waters. According to SÉRET (1981) it is very common along the coast of Senegal.

Recent authors ( SMITH, 1971; TORTONESE, 1975, 1986; BAUCHOT, 1987) have regarded M. rubra as an amphi-Atlantic species occurring on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. This species name is here restricted to the eastern Atlantic continental population, which differs from M. acutirostris of the western Atlantic in having fewer gill-takers and a narrower maxilla (see key above). M. rubra is very similar to M. fusca of the eastern Atlantic Macaronesian islands, but the latter has only 20-24 lower gill-rakers.

In the original description of Epinephelus ruber BLOCH , the type locality was given erroneously as "Japan" Gill-raker counts of the holotype of M. rubra (17 + 31, left side and 18 + 31, right side) indicate that it came from the continental shores of the eastern Atlantic.

Probably all of the literature based on " Mycteroperca rubra " from the continental coast of Africa and the Mediterranean pertains to M. rubra rather than M. fusca (which is known only from islands of the eastern Atlantic) or M. acutirostris (of the western Atlantic). The accounts of M. rubra by SMITH (1971) and TORTONESE (1975 & 1986) pertain to all three species, but the gill-raker counts given by SMITH (1971: 208) are of M. acutirostris , and those given by TORTONESE are of M. rubra .

FURNESTIN et al. (1958) and SÉRET (1981) published good illustrations of M. rubra .

MATERIAL EXAMINED

MEDITERRANEAN ? ZMB 161 (136 mm. holotype of Serranus ruber BLOCH ; type locality given erroneously as "Japanisches Meer" SICILY: MNHN 7230 (365 mm.). NMW 39138 (300 mm.); NMW 40782 (452 mm.). ITALY: BMNH 88.11.29.4 (127 mm)- GREECE: NMW 40783 (186 & 193 mm.); NMW 40785 (147 & 167 mm); ZMB 12581 (231 mm.). LEBANON: BMNH 1967.2.1.64-68 (4, 53- - 67 mm); NMW 40784 (220 mm.); USNM 298686 (180 mm.). ISRAEL: BMNH 1955.9.25.6 (164 mm.); HUJ 7230 (84 mm.); HUJ 10631 (163 mm.); HUJ 12357 (180 mm.). EGYPT: MNHN 5552 (107 mm.). ALGIERS: BMNH 1970.5307 (59 mm.). SENEGAL: NMH 40790 (250 mm.). ANGOLA: MB 1443 (120 mm.); MB 1444 (141 mm.); MB 1586 (128 mm.); MB 2088 (585 mm.). MNHN 1962-269 (171 mm.). SAM 24986 (7, 74-102 mm.); SAM 24991 (165 mm.).

Figures

Fig. 15 - Myctemperca rubra, 49 cm. SL, (Sénégal); redrawn from Séret (1981) by E. HEEMSTRA.