Speckled Hind (Epinepheuls drummondhayi)
Juvenile Speckled Hind: Photo credit U.S. Geological Survey
Key Information
The speckled hind was identified as a Candidate Species on July 14, 1997 (62 FR 37560) and transferred to the Species of Concern list April 15, 2004 (69 FR 19975).
Brief Species Description
The name “speckled hind” is derived from the multitude of tiny, white spots that cover its reddish-brown head, body, and fins. Adults inhabit offshore rocky habitat (preferred habitats include high- and low-profile hardbottoms) at depths ranging from 80 to 1300 ft (24 to 396 m), but are most common in areas of the Western Atlantic at depths between 200 and 400 ft (60 and 122 m). Juvenile speckled hind tend to be yellow in body color and occur in shallower waters. Adults can grow to be 43 in (109 cm) in length and weigh 66 lbs (30 kg). For more information, please see the species fact sheet below.
Listing Information
Notice of 90-Day Finding on the WildEarth Guardians petition to list speckled hind under the Endangered Species Act (77 FR 25687)
On August 31, 2010, WildEarh Guardians petitioned NMFS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife to list speckled hind as endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
Status Review
No formal status review has been completed.
The Proactive Conservation Grant Program in 2009 funded a project to gather basic life data regarding growth and reproduction. This project is currently underway.
Area of Concern / SOC Range
Western Atlantic: South Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico
Speckled Hind SOC Range Map
Species Fact Sheet
- Detailed (Pending Update)
- Highlighted (Pending Update)
Supplemental Information
South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council
FishBase.org
IUCN Groupers and Wrasses Specialist Group
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Threatened, Endangered, and Sensitive Species Protection and Management System
Protected Status
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Conservation Designations
