Nassau Grouper (Epiniphelus striatus)
Nassau Grouper: Photo credit NOAA
Key Information
The Nassau grouper was identified as a Candidate Species in 1991 (56 FR 26797) and transferred to the Species of Concern list on April 15, 2004 (69 FR 19975).
Brief Species Description
Nassau grouper is a top-level predator found inshore and out to depths of approximately 330 ft (100 m) in many areas of the Caribbean and South Atlantic. Adults are generally found near high relief coral reeds and rocky bottoms. Juveniles (25-150 mm TL) are found at shallower depths in and around coral chumps covered with microalgae (Laurencie spp.) and over seagrass beds. Nassau grouper are characterized by five dark brown vertical bars on a pale tan or gray body, black dots around their eye, a large black saddle-blotch on the caudal peduncle, and a wide, “tuning-fork” pattern on their forehead. For more information, please see the species fact sheet below.
Listing Information
On August 31, 2010, WildEarh Guardians petitioned NMFS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife to list Nassau grouper as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
NMFS must make a 90-day finding, within 90 days of receipt, as to whether the petition presents substantial information that the petitioned action may be warranted.
- Should NMFS make a positive 90-day finding, a status review will likely be conducted.
Status Review
July 1999: Synopsis of biological data on the Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus (Bloch, 1792), and the jewfish, E. itajara (Lichtenstein, 1822). NOAA Technical Report.
Area of Concern / SOC Range
Western Atlantic: South Atlantic and Caribbean
Nassau Grouper SOC Range Map
Species Fact Sheet
Supplemental Information
M.A. Albins, Hixon, M.A., and Sadovy, Y. 2009. Threatened fishes of the world: Epinephelus striatus (Bloch, 1972) (Serranidae). Environ Biol Fish. 86: 309-310.
NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research: Studying Nassau Grouper Spawning Aggregations
Florida Museum of Natural History: Ichthyology
The Reef Environmental Education Foundation: The Grouper Moon Project
Conservation Designations
