Species: Mycteroperca interstitialis, Yellowmouth grouper
spiny D edge, lips & in mouth yellow
D & A: no dark spots
Mycteroperca interstitialis (Poey, 1860)
Yellowmouth grouper
Body elongate, robust, compressed, depth at dorsal origin not greater than at anal origin; snout much longer than eye; in adult rear nostril much larger than front nostril; lower jaw projecting; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without accessory bone above it; teeth depressible; canines at front of jaws; preopercle serrated at lower corner, with a distinct notch above serrated corner; gill rakers, including rudiments, 23-27; dorsal fin with XI spines, indented between spines, 16-18 rays, rear edge pointed, with rays 9-11 elongated; anal fin with III spines, 11-12 rays, rays 6-8 elongated, lower rear edge pointed in adult; tail fin slightly concave, rays projecting evenly beyond fin end in adult; scales rough on side of body; 70-82 scales on lateral line.
Adult: Pale brownish grey, with close-set small brown spots on upper 1/2 of head and body; body sometimes with irregular dark bars; edge of spiny dorsal and inside and along outer edges of rear of mouth yellow; no dark spots on dorsal and anal fins; pectoral fin with dark rays, pale membranes, whitish margin; a dark moustache above rear of top jaw. Juvenile: distinctly bicolored: head and body dark brown above, abruptly white below; tail with a black spot at base of top rays, and upper and lower margins black; front of spiny dorsal yellow, that color persisting in small subadults.
Reaches 84 cm.
Found on reefs; smaller fish also in mangroves.
Depth range: 2-150 m.
N Carolina to Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Brackish
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Estuary
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Rocks
- Reef and soft bottom
- Corals
- Mangrove
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Bony fishes
- Data
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends South of GC
- Continent
- GC non-endemic
- All species..
- Also in Brazil
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends N + S of GC
- Extends North of GC
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Vulnerable
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Depth Range Min
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- 2
- Depth Range Max
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- 150
- Length Max
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- 84
