Diet and reproduction of the goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Serranidae), in eastern Brazil

Abstract

(present address) Freitas M.O., Abilhoa V., Giglio V.J., Hostim-Silva M., Moura R.L., Francini-Filho R.B., Minte-Vera C.V.2015. Diet and reproduction of the goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Serranidae), in eastern Brazil. Acta Ichthyol. Piscat. 45 (1): 1-11.Background. The goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara (Lichtenstein, 1822), is the largest Atlantic grouper. It has been the first marine fish subjected to a fishing moratorium in Brazil (since 2002). The aim of this study was to investigate basic biological aspects, particularly the diet and reproduction of this endangered species. We believe that our results, together with information already available in the literature, may be a foundation for new management and conservation strategies for this grouper in Brazil. A total of 34 stomachs were analyzed, six of them were empty. Teleosts and decapods dominated the diet. The major food items of mangrove-associated fish were decapods Callinectes sp., while the coral reef-associated fish ingested mainly the boxfish Acanthostracion sp. The most important item for juveniles was Callinectes sp., while Acanthostracion sp. was the most important item for adults. Conclusion. We suggest that the goliath grouper moratorium in Brazil should be maintained for a relatively long time frame-more than four decades.

Feeding habits of the leopard grouper, Mycteroperca rosacea (Actinopterygii: Perciformes: Epinephelidae), in the central Gulf of California, BCS, Mexico

“…PERMANOVA multivariate analyses are being increasingly employed in fish trophic ecology studies (Freitas et al 2015, Pereira et al 2015, Rosa et al 2015 due to their statistical rigor (Anderson and Walsh 2013). This analysis indicated that there were significant differences in the diet of leopard grouper by sex, size, and season, but no significant interactions.…”

Assessing Fishing Experts' Knowledge to Improve Conservation Strategies for an Endangered Grouper in the Southwestern Atlantic

“…The data collector asked fishers about the weight of the specimen caught, total length, the fishing gear used, and the catch location. We used body size (weight) to discriminate life stages between juvenile (, 17 kg) and adult individuals ( 17 kg; Freitas et al 2015).…”

“…Longline and spearfishing had the highest averages, while gillnet and trawl had the smallest. The average weight was 7 kg and only 3.4% of the individuals weighed greater than that at the first gonadal maturation (L50 ¼ 25 kg; Freitas et al 2015).…”

“…The eldest informant associates the occurrence of large individuals on shallow mangrove waters to a feeding strategy targeting mud crabs in the river margin. In the mangroves of Abrolhos Bank, crabs of the genus Callinectes are the main food item of juvenile goliath groupers (Freitas et al 2015). At present, no data are available on the stomach contents of adult individuals inhabiting mangroves.…”

Feeding habits of the spotted rose snapper, Lutjanus guttatus, (Actinopterygii, Perciformes, Lutjanidae), in the central Gulf of California, BCS, Mexico

“…Studies on the food habits of fish are fundamental to understand the structure and functioning of marine ecosystems (Díaz-Ruiz et al 2004;Freitas et al 2015), as they allow us to understand ecological aspects of species such as trophic interactions, their role in the food chain, and the energy flow through ecosystems (Brown et al 2012). They are also extremely important when establishing management plans for species that are exploited due to their economic importance (Rojas-Herrera et al 2004;Moreno-Sánchez et al 2016).…”