| Cephalopholis taeniops | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Epinephelidae |
| Genus: | Cephalopholis |
| Species: | C. taeniops |
| Binomial name | |
| Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828) | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Cephalopholis taeniops, theAfrican hind,bluespotted sea bass orspotted grouper, is a species of marineray-finned fish, agrouper from thesubfamilyEpinephelinae which is in thefamilySerranidae which also includes theanthias and sea basses. This species occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade and is a target for local fisheries. It is found in the easternAtlantic Ocean.
Cephalopholis taeniops has a basic colour of reddish orange with the head and body covered with small blue spots as are thedorsal fin,anal fin andcaudal fin. The fins are blackish towards the margins while the soft-rayed part of the dorsal and anal fins and the caudal fin have a narrow bluish margin, There is a horizontal blue line immediately below eye. There is a much rarer black variety which also has blue spots.[3] There are 9 spines and 15-16 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spies and 9-10 soft rays.[2] There are 68-72 scales in thelateral line, thepectoral fins are longer than thepelvic fins and the caudal fin is rounded.[3] It attains a maximumtotal length of 70 centimetres (28 in), although they are more common at around 40 centimetres (16 in).[2]
Cephalopholis taeniops is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of Africa from Morocco to Angola. It is also found around theCape Verde Islands and the islands in theGulf of Guinea.[1] In theMediterranean Sea it was first recorded in theGulf of Sirte (Libya)[4] and later inSicily (Italy),[5] Malta, Israel, Lebanon and in theAegean Sea.[6] It has also been recorded around theCanary Islands where it is thought to have been introduced inballast water discharged by oil platforms from West Africa.[7]
Cephalopholis taeniops is a demersal species which can be found in shallow rocky reefs and on sandy bottoms. It is a diandricprotogynous hermaphrodite. Some of the males do not necessarily have a functional female stage and may develop into males from sexually immature females. The females reach sexual maturity when they attain a total length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in).[1]
Cephalopholis taeniops was first formallydescribed asSerranus taeniops in 1828 by theFrenchzoologistAchille Valenciennes (1794–1865) with thetype locality given as the Cape Verde Islands.[8]
This species is important for commercial fisheries in Cape Verde and on a small scale inSão Tomé and Príncipe but is not generally exploited elsewhere in its range.[1] It has been recorded in theaquarium trade.[9]
