Guide to the Coastal Resources of Guam: Vol. 1
THE FISHES

Steven S. AMESBURY                   Robert F. MYERS

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

ZOOGEOGRAPHY

ECOLOGY

BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR

VALUE OF FISH RESOURCES

CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT

DANGEROUS MARINE FISHES

HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SPECIES INDEX

CHAMORRO NAMES

SERRANIDAE (GROUPERS)

       Groupers are among the least specialized of reef fishes, lacking peculiarities useful for immediate recognition.  In general they are robust-bodied, bottom-oriented carnivores with representatives on shallow reef flats to depths of 200 m or more.  Many are hermaphrodites, starting their mature life as females before changing to males.  At least 41 species occur in the Marianas.  Those in the subfamily Epinephelinae are large-mouthed, robust bottom-dwellers that are highly valued for food.  Some of the larger species may be ciguatoxic in certain parts of their range.  The subfamily Anthiinae includes numerous small, brilliantly hued planktivores that aggregate in the water above current-swept dropoffs as well as deeper-dwelling species found at depths of 100 to 200 m or more.

Pseudanthias pleurotaenia (Bleeker)
Cephalopholis argus (Schneider)
Cephalopholis urodeta (Forster)
Epinephelus fasciatus (Forsskål)
Epinephelus hexagonatus (Forster)
Epinephelus polyphekadion (Bleeker)
Epinephelus lanceolatus (Bloch)
Plectropomus laevis (Lacepède)
Variola louti (Forsskål)

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