The Atlantic goliath grouper or itajara (Epinephelus itajara), historically known as the jewfish, In the East Atlantic, the species ranges in West Africa from Senegal to Cabinda. The species has been observed at depths ranging from . Alternate explanations include derivation from the Italian word "giupesce", which means "bottom fish", or mispronunciation of the name "jawfish". In 1927, the New York Aquarium changed the fish's name to Junefish after protests. In 2001, the American Fisheries Society changed the name to "goliath grouper" after complaints that the nickname was culturally insensitive.

Description

thumb|Atlantic goliath grouper|228x228px

The Atlantic goliath grouper can grow to lengths of and weigh up to . The species ranges in coloration from brownish yellow to grey to greenish and has small black dots on the head, body and fins. Individuals less than in length have three to four faint vertical bars present on their sides. It may incidentally take octopus and young sea turtles.

Habitat

Adult individuals are typically found in rocky reefs, wrecks, artificial reefs, and oil platforms. The species can also be found in coral reef habitats, but are much more abundant in rocky reef environments. Juveniles mainly inhabit mangrove environments, but can also be found in holes and under ledges of swift tidal creeks that drain mangroves. Mangroves serve as an essential nursery habitat for the Atlantic goliath grouper and provide specific suitable water conditions to nurture healthy, sustained goliath grouper populations. Juvenile goliath groupers may remain in mangrove nursery habitats for 5 to 6 years before leaving towards deeper offshore reef habitats at around 1 meter in length. Males become sexually mature at around in length, and at ages 4–6. Females mature at around , and at ages 6–8. The species has relatively small spawning aggregations of less than 150 individuals with no evidence of spawning outside of these aggregations.

Conservation

Atlantic goliath groupers are highly susceptible to rapid population decline due to overfishing and the exploitation of spawning aggregations. High mercury concentrations in older males may lead to liver damage and/or death and reduce egg viability. The degradation of mangroves, which serve as an important nursery habitat for the species provide a major threat to juvenile survival. The proposal was approved in March 2022, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission planning to issue 200 permits per year through a lottery system, which came into effect in the spring of 2023.

Plastic Mero, [[Funchal (2019)|thumb]]

Portuguese street artist Bordalo II creates installations made of trash to highlight over-consumption. His works consisting of animals are created to highlight the destruction of species by waste caused by humans. One of his public sculptures is the huge Plastic Mero, created from marine debris and installed in 2019 on the seafront in Funchal, Portugal.

References

  • Florida Museum of Natural History description including alternate names