Species: Epinephelus ongus, White-streaked grouper


Epinephelus ongus (Bloch, 1790)
White-streaked grouper
Body robust, oblong, compressed, deepest at origin of dorsal fin; nostrils about equal size; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed, without bony knob at lower rear corner; teeth depressible, side of lower jaw with 2-4 rows of teeth; sides of roof of mouth with teeth; gill rakers 8-10+15-18; operculum edge with 3 flat spines, top spine longest, flap of upper corner strongly convex; preoperculum serrate, with very slightly larger serrae at angle; dorsal fin IX, 14-16, spines III-IV longest, length of base of soft part not longer than that of spiny part; anal fin III, 8; pectoral fin symmetrically rounded, fleshy, long (59-77% of head length), 15-17; pelvics insert just behind the base of the pectoral fin, shorter than pectorals, 43-50% head length; tail fin rounded; body scales rough, with auxiliary scales; lateral line scales 48-53, longitudinal scales 95-109.
Head, body and dorsal, anal and tail fins brown, with numerous small whitish spots (elongate in larger fish) that tend to form rows, and scattered large pale blotches; top edge of top jaw with a black stripe; edges of soft dorsal, soft anal and tail fin black; pectorals and pelvics with white spots in juveniles & subadults, not in adults.
Reaches 40 cm.
Habitat: rocky and coral reefs, inshore and lagoonal reefs, also in brackish water.
Depth range 5-60 m.
Indo-west Pacific; introduced to southeast Florida.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom only
- Habitat
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- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Estuary
- Reef only
- 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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- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Data
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- Data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- Exotic (Introduced)
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- Regional Endemism
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- Exotic (Introduced)
- GC non-endemic
- Continent
- All species..
- Continent only
- Residency
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- Vagrant
- Climate Zone
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- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 40
- Depth Range Min
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- 5
- Depth Range Max
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- 60