Sawtail grouper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sawtail grouper |
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| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Subfamily: | Epinephelinae |
| Genus: | Mycteroperca |
| Species: |
M. prionura
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| Binomial name | |
| Mycteroperca prionura Rosenblatt & Zahuranec, 1967
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The sawtail grouper (Mycteroperca prionura) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's a kind of grouper, which belongs to a larger group of fish called Serranidae. This family also includes fish like anthias and sea basses.
This special fish is found only along the western coasts of Mexico. Sawtail groupers often live among large rocks and corals, especially gorgonians and black corals.
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What Does the Sawtail Grouper Look Like?
The sawtail grouper has a long, strong body that is a bit flattened. Its body is about as deep at its front fin as it is at its back fin. The head is longer than the body is deep.
This fish has a special fin on its back called the dorsal fin, which has 11 stiff spines and 16 to 18 soft rays. Its bottom fin, the anal fin, has 3 spines and 10 to 12 soft rays. The skin between the spines on its back fin is not deeply cut. Its tail fin is either rounded or flat.
Young sawtail groupers are light gray or whitish. They have small brown spots and a few larger, oval-shaped brown marks. As they get older, they look similar but have many more spots, and the larger marks become less clear. This fish can grow up to about 105 centimeters (41 inches) long and can weigh up to 14.1 kilograms (31 pounds).
Where Do Sawtail Groupers Live?
The sawtail grouper lives in the eastern Pacific Ocean. It is found only in Mexico. You can find it from Baja California and the Gulf of California all the way south to Puerto Vallarta.
Habitat, Diet, and Life Cycle
Sawtail groupers live in waters from 10 to 90 meters (33 to 295 feet) deep. They prefer rocky reefs, especially places with big boulders, gorgonians, and black corals.
This fish is a predator, meaning it hunts other animals for food. During the day, it eats small fish. At night, it switches to eating crustaceans, like crabs and shrimp.
Scientists believe that sawtail groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites. This means they are born female and can later change into males as they get older. This species is quite rare, so not much is known about its daily behavior.
However, we do know that they gather together to lay eggs, which is called forming "spawning aggregations." They often do this with another type of grouper called Mycteroperca rosacea. These spawning events have been seen in April and May.
Who Discovered the Sawtail Grouper?
The sawtail grouper was first officially described in 1967. Two American fish scientists, Richard Heinrich Rosenblatt and Bernard J. Zahuranec, were the first to study and name it. They found the first example of this fish near the Inner Gorda Bank in Baja California Sur.
How People Use Sawtail Groupers
The sawtail grouper is considered a very good fish to eat. It is an important fish for small-scale fishing in the northern Gulf of California, where local fishers catch it along with other grouper species. It is also a popular fish for game fishing, which is a sport where people try to catch large fish.
Unfortunately, some people fish for sawtail groupers illegally. These poachers often fish at night using spears, special breathing gear called hookah (which provides air from the surface), and lights. They catch a lot of fish this way, which can harm the fish population.
 | John T. Biggers |
 | Thomas Blackshear |
 | Mark Bradford |
 | Beverly Buchanan |
