Mycteroperca interstitialis

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	ACTINOPTERYGII	PERCIFORMES	EPINEPHELIDAE

Scientific Name:

Mycteroperca interstitialis

Species Authority:

Poey, 1860

Common Name/s:

English	–	Crossband Rockfish, Grey Mannock, Hamlet, Harlequin Rockfish, Princess Rockfish, Rockfish, Salmon Grouper, Salmon Rock Fish, Scamp, Yellowmouth Grouper
French	–	Badeche Gueule Jaune
Spanish	–	Abadejo, Abadejo Salmon, Bacalao, Badejo, Badejo-amarelo, Blake, Cherna Boca Amarilla, Cuna Amarilla, Cuna Chulinga, Cuna Raba Rajao, Mero

Synonym/s:

Labrus gvaza Linneaus, 1758

Mycteroperca calliura Poey 1865

Mycteroperca dimidiata (Poey, 1860)

Mycteroperca falcata (Poey, 1860)

Mycteroperca interstitialis Poey, 1860

Mycteroperca roquensis Martin Salazar, 1956

Serranus dimidiatus Poey, 1860

Serranus falcatus Poey,1860

Serranus interstitialis Poey, 1860

Trisotropis chlorostomus Poey, 1867

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Vulnerable A2d+3d ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Rocha, L., Ferreira, B., Choat, J.H., Craig, M. & Sadovy, Y.
Reviewer/s:	Sadovy, Y. & Moss, K. (Grouper and Wrasse Red List Authority)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Mycteroperca interstitialis is listed as Vulnerable (VU) because of inferred declines for this naturally rare species of at least 30% in the past 3 generations (generation length is at least 10 years). These declines are expected to continue in the future as inferred from fishery data. Additionally, the species has life history characteristics that make this species more vulnerable to overfishing (long lived, protogynous).

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	General Mycteroperca interstitialis is distributed in the western Atlantic from Florida (USA) and Bermuda to southern Brazil, including the Brazilian off-shore islands, the southern Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys, Bahamas, Cuba and throughout the Caribbean. Specific Anguilla, Antigua and Bermuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, Brazil (Alagoas, Ceará, Espírito Santo, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Sergipe, Trindade), Cayman Islands, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Martinique, México (Campeche, Quintana Rôo, Tabasco, Veracruz, Yucatán), Montserrat, Netherlands Antilles (Curaçao), Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States of America (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Mississippi), British Virgin Islands, United States Virgin Islands, and Venezuela.
Countries:	Native: Anguilla; Antigua and Barbuda; Aruba; Bahamas; Barbados; Belize; Bermuda; Brazil; Cayman Islands; Colombia; Cuba; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Guadeloupe; Haiti; Honduras; Jamaica; Mexico; Montserrat; Netherlands Antilles; Puerto Rico; Saint Kitts and Nevis; Saint Lucia; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos Islands; United States; United States Minor Outlying Islands; Venezuela; Virgin Islands, British; Virgin Islands, U.S.
FAO Marine Fishing Areas:	Native: Atlantic – southwest; Atlantic – western central
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Mycteroperca interstitialis is a naturally uncommon species throughout its range. Signs of decline (at least 30%) in all of its range is inferred from fishery data. The species has been classified as vulnerable in the US, since it has low productivity and is vulnerable to overfishing (http://www.sefscpanamalab.noaa.gov/docs/Yellowmouth_grouper.doc). Extirpation is possible for this uncommon species, since it is taken along with similar yet more abundant and more persistent species, such as scamp (M. phenax) (Musick et al. 2000) and M. bonaci (Ferreira et al. 1998).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Population:

Mycteroperca interstitialis is a naturally uncommon species throughout its range. Signs of decline (at least 30%) in all of its range is inferred from fishery data.

The species has been classified as vulnerable in the US, since it has low productivity and is vulnerable to overfishing (http://www.sefscpanamalab.noaa.gov/docs/Yellowmouth_grouper.doc). Extirpation is possible for this uncommon species, since it is taken along with similar yet more abundant and more persistent species, such as scamp (M. phenax) (Musick et al. 2000) and M. bonaci (Ferreira et al. 1998).

Population Trend:

Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	General Mycteroperca interstitialis is reef-associated and found mainly on rocky or coral bottoms from the shoreline to at least 55 m depth (Smith 1978). Small and medium-sized individuals commonly occur in mangrove-lined lagoons. More common in island waters than along the coast. The species is reported to have slow growth, long life spans, and presumed low natural mortality rates that likely increases their susceptibility to overfishing (Manickchand-Heileman and Phillip 2000), as with many of its congeners with similar life histories. Diet M. interstitialis feeds on fishes. Reproduction Sex-reversal has been reported for the species. The species is a pelagic spawner. Colouration The tri-colored pattern of the juveniles mimics that of the juveniles of the clown wrasse, Halichoeres maculipinna. The aggressive mimics behavior includes folding down the median and caudal fins, which adds to its wrasse imitation and allows it to approach its otherwise wary prey.
Systems:	Marine

Habitat and Ecology:

General
Mycteroperca interstitialis is reef-associated and found mainly on rocky or coral bottoms from the shoreline to at least 55 m depth (Smith 1978). Small and medium-sized individuals commonly occur in mangrove-lined lagoons. More common in island waters than along the coast.

The species is reported to have slow growth, long life spans, and presumed low natural mortality rates that likely increases their susceptibility to overfishing (Manickchand-Heileman and Phillip 2000), as with many of its congeners with similar life histories.

Diet
M. interstitialis feeds on fishes.

Reproduction
Sex-reversal has been reported for the species. The species is a pelagic spawner.

Colouration
The tri-colored pattern of the juveniles mimics that of the juveniles of the clown wrasse, Halichoeres maculipinna. The aggressive mimics behavior includes folding down the median and caudal fins, which adds to its wrasse imitation and allows it to approach its otherwise wary prey.

Systems:

Marine

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	General Mycteroperca interstitialis is targeted by fisheries in some areas, but its rarity prevents it from becoming a major target species. In areas where fisheries are developed, rapid population declines have been noted. Mycteroperca interstitialis is apparently tolerant to habitat loss. In the Caribbean, Mycteroperca interstitialis is caught with hook-and-line, traps and spear (Heemstra and Randall 1993) and is of significant commercial value in Venezuela (Smith 1971; Gonzalez and Celaya 1986; cited in Manickchand-Heilmand and Phillip 2000). The yellowmouth grouper is also commercially exploited in Bermuda (Smith 1971) and the eastern Gulf of Mexico (Bullock and Murphy 1994). In Honduras, large grouper species (e.g. E. striatus, Mycteroperca spp.) are caught in all areas but with different techniques, whereas in Utila, they are predominantly caught with handlines. Smaller individuals are caught elsewhere in larger proportions with spearguns, nets, and sometimes traps (Gobert et al. 2005). Fishery dependent data Bermuda In the 1980s, a rapid development of trap fishing on shallow water grouper populations in Bermuda led to a seven year decline in grouper catches from 40,000 to 10,000 pounds per year (Bannerot et al. 1987). Trinidad/Tobago Historically, Mycteroperca interstitialis has been fished on the continental shelf and shelf edge northwest of Tobago and along the north and northeastern coasts of Trinidad by artisanal vessels from Trinidad and Tobago, as well as from Venezuela (Mendoza and Larez 2004). Declines in catch rates have been reported in these areas (Manickchand-Heileman and Phillip 2000, Mendoza and Larez 2004). Brazil In Brazil a sharp decline was observed in the grouper fishery in the Abrolhos bank (Mycteroperca spp). The present CPUE (1.4 kg per fisher^-day) is considerably lower than in the late 1970s (12 kg per fisher-day) (Costa et al. 2003). Fishery independent data Brazil In Brazil, Mycteroperca interstitialis is recorded in the landings under the same category as other Mycteroperca species. Ferreira et al. (1998) estimated that Mycteroperca interstitialis represented 3% of the total Mycteroperca catches in the northeast (M. bonaci is the main species with 88%), while Costa (unpub. data) estimates it represents 1.36% of the total Mycteroperca landings in the central coast of Brazil. During four research cruises of the Revizee Program between 1996 and 1998, 190,746 hooks were deployed in depths between 100 and 500 m in four areas distributed in the Abrolhos to Vitoria region (12° to 22° S). A catch-per-unit-effort of 0.2 to 2.1 kg per 1,000 hooks was estimated for this species that included 1.4 kg per 1000 hook in depths above 100 m and 0.3 kg per 1,000 hook in areas between 100 and 300 m.

Major Threat(s):

General
Mycteroperca interstitialis is targeted by fisheries in some areas, but its rarity prevents it from becoming a major target species. In areas where fisheries are developed, rapid population declines have been noted. Mycteroperca interstitialis is apparently tolerant to habitat loss.

In the Caribbean, Mycteroperca interstitialis is caught with hook-and-line, traps and spear (Heemstra and Randall 1993) and is of significant commercial value in Venezuela (Smith 1971; Gonzalez and Celaya 1986; cited in Manickchand-Heilmand and Phillip 2000). The yellowmouth grouper is also commercially exploited in Bermuda (Smith 1971) and the eastern Gulf of Mexico (Bullock and Murphy 1994). In Honduras, large grouper species (e.g. E. striatus, Mycteroperca spp.) are caught in all areas but with different techniques, whereas in Utila, they are predominantly caught with handlines. Smaller individuals are caught elsewhere in larger proportions with spearguns, nets, and sometimes traps (Gobert et al. 2005).

Fishery dependent data
Bermuda
In the 1980s, a rapid development of trap fishing on shallow water grouper populations in Bermuda led to a seven year decline in grouper catches from 40,000 to 10,000 pounds per year (Bannerot et al. 1987).

Trinidad/Tobago
Historically, Mycteroperca interstitialis has been fished on the continental shelf and shelf edge northwest of Tobago and along the north and northeastern coasts of Trinidad by artisanal vessels from Trinidad and Tobago, as well as from Venezuela (Mendoza and Larez 2004). Declines in catch rates have been reported in these areas (Manickchand-Heileman and Phillip 2000, Mendoza and Larez 2004).

Brazil
In Brazil a sharp decline was observed in the grouper fishery in the Abrolhos bank (Mycteroperca spp). The present CPUE (1.4 kg per fisher^-day) is considerably lower than in the late 1970s (12 kg per fisher-day) (Costa et al. 2003).

Fishery independent data
Brazil
In Brazil, Mycteroperca interstitialis is recorded in the landings under the same category as other Mycteroperca species. Ferreira et al. (1998) estimated that Mycteroperca interstitialis represented 3% of the total Mycteroperca catches in the northeast (M. bonaci is the main species with 88%), while Costa (unpub. data) estimates it represents 1.36% of the total Mycteroperca landings in the central coast of Brazil. During four research cruises of the Revizee Program between 1996 and 1998, 190,746 hooks were deployed in depths between 100 and 500 m in four areas distributed in the Abrolhos to Vitoria region (12° to 22° S). A catch-per-unit-effort of 0.2 to 2.1 kg per 1,000 hooks was estimated for this species that included 1.4 kg per 1000 hook in depths above 100 m and 0.3 kg per 1,000 hook in areas between 100 and 300 m.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Mycteroperca interstitialis occurs in several marine protected areas throughout its range. In areas not protected, harvest management is needed.

Conservation Actions:

Mycteroperca interstitialis occurs in several marine protected areas throughout its range. In areas not protected, harvest management is needed.

Citation:	Rocha, L., Ferreira, B., Choat, J.H., Craig, M. & Sadovy, Y. 2008. Mycteroperca interstitialis. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 24 May 2013.
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