| Slender grouper | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Suborder: | Percoidei |
| Family: | Epinephelidae |
| Genus: | Anyperodon Günther, 1859[3] |
| Species: | A. leucogrammicus |
| Binomial name | |
| Anyperodon leucogrammicus (Valenciennes, 1828)[2] | |
| Synonyms[4] | |
Theslender grouper (Anyperodon leucogrammicus) is a species of marineray-finned fish, agrouper from thesubfamilyEpinephelinae which is part of thefamilySerranidae, which also includes theanthias and sea basses. It is the only species in thegenusAnyperodon. It is found in theIndo-Pacific region.
Recent molecular analyses based on five genes show thatAnyperodon leucogrammicus is included in the same clade as species ofEpinephelus. Consequently, the species should be included inEpinephelus asEpinephelus leucogrammicus.[5]
The slender grouper is a medium-sized fish growing to a length of about 65 centimetres (26 in). The head occupies 40% of the total length and the mouth is large, with the lower jaw longer than the upper jaw. There are nopalatine teeth, a fact which distinguishes this species from other groupers. The basic colour is pale reddish-brown liberally dotted with orange spots which are closer together on the head. There are five pale silvery blue longitudinal lines running down either side, the lower 3 reaching the tail but the upper two breaking into irregular streaks.[6] The dorsal fin has 11 spines and 14 to 16 soft rays. The anal fin has 3 spines and 8 to 9 soft rays.[4] Juvenile fish have vivid blue and red longitudinal stripes.[4][7]
The slender grouper has a wide distribution in the tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans. The range extends from the east coast of Africa and the Red Sea at 32°E to southern Japan and Australia at 171°W. It is found on coral reefs and seaward reef slopes and in lagoons at depths down to 50 metres (160 ft) or occasionally 80 metres (260 ft).[4] and can found in Andaman Sea.
The slender grouper iscarnivorous, feeding mainly on other fish such asgoatfish but possibly also oninvertebrates. Juvenile slender groupers areaggressive mimics of the red-lined wrasse,Halichoeres biocellatus and the silty wrasse,Halichoeres purpurescens.[4][8] They resemble them in appearance and in behaviour which lulls a potential prey fish into a false sense of security and enables the grouper to approach it without detection.[9]
The slender grouper is considered of "least concern" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This is because it has a very wide range and populations do not seem to be in decline.[1] It is not fished commercially but is occasionally seen in the fish markets inHong Kong.[4]
Media related toAnyperodon at Wikimedia Commons
Data related toAnyperodon at Wikispecies