Epinephelus daemelii

Black rockcod | Black Cod | Saddled Grouper | Saddled Rockcod | Saddletail Grouper | Spotted Black Grouper
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, adult, Solitary Islands, New South Wales, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, juvenile, Lord Howe Island, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, adult, Elizabeth Reef, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, adult, Elizabeth Reef, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, Elizabeth Reef, Australia, Photo: Graham Edgar
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, adult, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, Photo: Rick Stuart-Smith
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, Solitary Islands, New South Wales, Australia, Photo: Ian Shaw
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, Sub adult. Lord Howe Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii, Sub adult. Lord Howe Is, NSW, Photo: Andrew Green
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Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii
Epinephelus daemelii

Distribution

Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific


Description

Body markings of oblique bars over back and white spots on face can all be rapidly switched to jet black or all-white. Individuals on offshore reefs often light while juveniles in estuaries are dark. Six oblique bars are almost always present in upper half of the body, the last of which consisting of or containing a dark rounded patch at upper tail base. Now totally protected after heavy fishing pressure greatly reduced population numbers last century.


Information

Max Size: 200 cm

Sea Temperature Range: 15.6-25.5°C

Depth: 2-50 m

Habitat Generalization Index: 5.94

Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.


Conservation and Rarity

IUCN Status: Near Threatened

Occurrence: Frequent (18.2% of sites)

Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed

Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)

Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.


Edit by: GJ Edgar. 2008. Australian Marine Life. New Holland, Sydney