Page 143 - Caribbean Reef Life Demo

GOLIATH GROUPER (Epinephelus itajara) < 2.5 m / 8 ft
he lar est of the rou ers. mall dar s ots co er the entire od and all the ns. istincti el rounded tail.
As top predators, groupers are crucial to a healthy reef ecosystem. Decades of over shing has seen the Nassau rouper below enter the I CN’s Endangered Species List. Although numbers are slowly improving, the oliath rouper above is still listed as critically endangered.
NASSAU GROUPER (Epinephelus striatus) < 1.2 m / 4 ft
i e dar ro n to red od ars. istincti e lar e lac spot at the saddle of the tail. Gold-tipped dorsal spines.
O
(Epinephelus striatus)
May take on a dramatic two-tone pattern during the matin season. imilar to ello mouth rou er . 351.
352