<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717CFFC1FB9AFB00FB2FFB16"author="OSBECK, P."box="[1084,1251,1255,1283]"pageId="12"pageNumber="17"refId="ref30641"refString="OSBECK, P.: 1765. Reise nach Ostinidien und China, etc. German translation by J. G. Georgius. J. C. Koppe, Rostock, 552 pp., 13 pls."type="book"year="1765">OSBECK, 1765</bibRefCitation>
<figureCitationid="137E98B4717CFFC1FC74FAE3FC31FACE"captionStart="Fig"captionStartId="13.[524,556,1781,1805]"captionTargetBox="[542,1489,1321,1742]"captionTargetPageId="13"captionText="Fig. 4 - Epinephelus adscensionis, 17 cm. SL. Ascension Islands, from VAILLANT & BOCOURT, 1875."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12168235"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/12168235/files/figure.png"pageId="12"pageNumber="17">
<emphasisid="B9315823717CFFC1FDB7FAAAFD03FAB5"box="[529,719,1357,1375]"italics="true"pageId="12"pageNumber="17">Perca tota maculis</emphasis>
</taxonomicName>
... SEBA, 1758; 76, Pl. 27,
<figureCitationid="137E98B4717CFFC1FC7BFAACFBD4FAB7"box="[989,1048,1355,1378]"captionStart="Fig"captionStartId="19.[557,589,2338,2364]"captionTargetBox="[533,1482,1921,2306]"captionTargetPageId="19"captionText="Fig. 7 - Epinephelus coioides, 33 cm. SL, Persian Gulf, from photograph of J. E. RANDALL."figureDoi="http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12168243"httpUri="https://zenodo.org/record/12168243/files/figure.png"pageId="12"pageNumber="17">Fig. 7</figureCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717CFFC1FD31FA46FCBCFA58"author="WALBAUM, J. J."box="[663,880,1440,1462]"pageId="12"pageNumber="17"refId="ref32840"refString="WALBAUM, J. J.: 1792. Petri Artedi sueci genera Piscium in quibus systema totum ichthyologiae proponitur cum classibus, ordinibus, generum characteribus, specierum differentiis, observationibus plurimis. Ichthyologiae Pars III, Grypeswaldiae, [ed. H], 723 pp., 3 pls."type="book"year="1792">WALBAUM, 1792: 349</bibRefCitation>
<taxonomicNameid="4C45FFB2717CFFC1FDB4F980FB81F99D"authority="MULLER & TROSCHEL, 1848: 665"authorityName="MULLER & TROSCHEL"authorityPageNumber="665"authorityYear="1848"box="[530,1101,1638,1662]"family="Serranidae"genus="Serranus"kingdom="Animalia"order="Perciformes"pageId="12"pageNumber="17"phylum="Chordata"rank="species"species="impetiginosus">
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717CFFC1FD58F980FB81F99D"author="MULLER, J. & F. H. TROSCHEL"box="[766,1101,1638,1659]"pageId="12"pageNumber="17"refId="ref30594"refString="MULLER, J. & F. H. TROSCHEL; 1848. The vertebrate animals. In Schomburgk, Robert H., The history of Barbados London, Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, xx + 772 pp., 7 pls."type="book"year="1848">MÜLLER & TROSCHEL, 1848: 665</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717CFFC1FD14F95BFCB3F927"author="BOCOURT, F. M."box="[690,895,1723,1745]"journalOrPublisher="Ann. Sci. Nat. (Zool)"pageId="12"pageNumber="17"pagination="222 - 224"part="10"refId="ref27156"refString="BOCOURT, F. M.: 1868. Descriptions de quelques acanthopterygieus nouveaux appartenant aux genres Semm et Mesoprion recueillis dans l'Amerique Centrale. Ann. Sci. Nat. (Zool)., ser. 5, vol. 10, pp. 222 - 224."title="Descriptions de quelques acanthopterygieus nouveaux appartenant aux genres Semm et Mesoprion recueillis dans l'Amerique Centrale"type="journal article"year="1868">BOCOURT, 1868: 222</bibRefCitation>
</taxonomicName>
(type locality, Gulf of Mexico; holotype MNHN 5190 (166 mm)-
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717CFFC1FC29F910FB85F8E4"author="SMITH, C. L."box="[911,1097,1783,1807]"journalOrPublisher="Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist."pageId="12"pageNumber="17"pagination="1 - 241"part="146"refId="ref31738"refString="SMITH, C. L.: 1971. A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 146: 1 - 241."title="A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera"type="journal article"year="1971">SMITH (1971: 145)</bibRefCitation>
: Dorsal fin XL, 16- 18; anal fin III,8; pectoral fin rays 18 -20; lateral-line scales 48-53; lateral scale series 92- 108; gill-rakers 7-9 + 16- 19 including 2-7 rudiments on each limb. Body depth less than head length, contained 2.6-3.2 times in SL (for fish 13 -38 cm. SL); head length 2.1 - 2.5 times in SL; pectoral fins longer than pelvics, 1.5 -2.1 times in head length; pelvic fins 1.8 -2.3 times in head length for fish 10- 19 cm. SL, 2.2-2.7 times in head length for fish 20-38 cm. SL. Rear margin of caudal fin convex; dorsal fin with the fourth or fifth spine longest and the interspinous membranes distinctly incised. Interorbital area flat or slightly concave; preopercle evenly serrate, without salient angle; subopercle and interopercle smooth; nostrils subequal. Lateral body scales distinctly ctenoid, with auxiliary scales.
: Head, body and fins generally buff or pale greenish, covered with reddish brown spots (spots fewer but larger on small juveniles) and scattered pale blotches; usually 3 -5 dark brown blotches (groups of dark spots) at base of dorsal fin and a blackish-brown blotch on top of caudal peduncle (on some specimens, only the dark blotch at base of last dorsal spines is apparent); rear edge of caudal fin with a row of dark brown spots forming a dark margin.
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717CFFC1FD7CF6BCFC6EF69C"author="LUBBOCK, R."box="[730,930,2394,2423]"pageId="12"pageNumber="17"pagination="283 - 303"refId="ref30461"refString="LUBBOCK, R.: 1980. The shore fishes of Ascension Island. J. Fish Biol., 17: 283 - 303."type="journal article"year="1980">LUBBOCK (1980)</bibRefCitation>
, the rock hind at Ascension Island may attain a length of "about one metre"
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717DFFC0FB0DF6A1FAB2F6B3"author="STEINDACHNER, F."box="[1195,1406,2374,2395]"journalOrPublisher="Denkrchr. Akad. Wiss. Wien"pageId="13"pageNumber="18"pagination="19 - 51"part="41"refId="ref32101"refString="1882. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Fische Afrikas I. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Meeresfische Senegambiens. Denkrchr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, 41: 19 - 51."title="Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Fische Afrikas I. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Meeresfische Senegambiens"type="journal article"year="1882">STEINDACHNER, 1882</bibRefCitation>
is a wide-ranging species known from the mid-Atlantic islands of Ascension and St. Helena and, in the western Atlantic, from Bermuda, Massachusetts (one record), South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, and from the Caribbean to southern Brazil. Reports by C. L.
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FBD8FAC0FA90FAA9"author="SMITH, C. L."box="[1150,1372,1319,1347]"journalOrPublisher="Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist."pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="1 - 241"part="146"refId="ref31738"refString="SMITH, C. L.: 1971. A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 146: 1 - 241."title="A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera"type="journal article"year="1971">SMITH (1971: 148)</bibRefCitation>
., (1985) in their extensive survey of the fish fauna of the Canary Islands. Records from the Portuguese islands in the Gulf of Guinea (
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FBB9FA49FB0AFA28"author="OSORIO, B."box="[1055,1222,1454,1481]"journalOrPublisher="Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. Nat., Lisboa"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="185 - 202"part="2"refId="ref30795"refString="1898. Da distribuicao geographica dos peixes e crustaceos colhidos nas possessoes portuguezas d'Africa occidental e existentes no Museu Nacional de Lisboa. Jorn. Sci. Math. Phys. Nat., Lisboa, ser. 2, vol. 5: 185 - 202."title="Da distribuicao geographica dos peixes e crustaceos colhidos nas possessoes portuguezas d'Africa occidental e existentes no Museu Nacional de Lisboa"type="journal article"year="1898">OSÓRIO, 1898</bibRefCitation>
occurs on rocky reefs in depths of 2 to 100 m. At Saint Helena, it is common in shallow water and represents 90 % of "groundfish" landings; large adults (over 50 cm.) are taken regularly in 50 to 100 m., but are rare in shallow water (
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FDACF97CFC9FF95D"author="EDWARDS, A. J. & C. W. GLASS"box="[522,851,1691,1719]"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="617 - 686"refId="ref28511"refString="EDWARDS, A. J. & C. W. GLASS: 1987. The fishes of Saint Helena Island, South Atlantic Ocean. J. Nat. Hist., 21: 617 - 686."type="journal article"year="1987">EDWARDS & GLASS, 1987</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FB28F939FA9DF919"author="BARNARD"box="[1166,1361,1758,1785]"firstAuthor="BARNARD"journalOrPublisher="Neill and Co Edinburgh.., Ltd"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"refId="ref26403"refString="BARNARD, K. H.: 1927. A Monograph of the Marine Fishes of South Africa. Part 2: 419 - 1065. Neill and Co Edinburgh.., Ltd.,"title="A Monograph of the Marine Fishes of South Africa. Part 2: 419 - 1065"type="book"year="1927">BARNARD, 1927</bibRefCitation>
;
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FAC0F939FA31F918"author="SMITH, J. L. B."box="[1382,1533,1758,1782]"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"refId="ref31860"refString="SMITH, J. L. B.: 1949. The Sea Fishes of Southern Afiica. Central News Agency, Cape Town, South Africa, 550 pp."type="book"year="1949">SMITH, 1949</bibRefCitation>
; C.L.
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FD99F8E7FD1EF8FF"author="SMITH, C. L."box="[575,722,1792,1818]"journalOrPublisher="Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist."pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="1 - 241"part="146"refId="ref31738"refString="SMITH, C. L.: 1971. A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 146: 1 - 241."title="A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera"type="journal article"year="1971">SMITH, 1971</bibRefCitation>
) are apparently based on two dried juveniles sent to the British Museum by ANDREW SMITH in the early 1800’s. These specimens were said to be from “Cape Seas" (
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FD57F8A3FC1FF8B5"author="BOULENGER, G. A."bookContentInfo="Second edition, Taylor and Francis, London. 394 pp"box="[753,979,1860,1887]"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"refId="ref27380"refString="1895. Catalogue of the Perciform Fishes in the British Museum. I. Second edition, Taylor and Francis, London. 394 pp."title="Catalogue of the Perciform Fishes in the British Museum. I."type="book"year="1895">BOULENGER, 1895</bibRefCitation>
); but as no others have been reported from South Africa, it seems likely that ANDREW SMITH may have obtained these fish from St. Helena or Ascension Island. There are no
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FACEF828FDE6F7E0"author="SMITH, C. L."journalOrPublisher="Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist."pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="1 - 241"part="146"refId="ref31738"refString="SMITH, C. L.: 1971. A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 146: 1 - 241."title="A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera"type="journal article"year="1971">SMITH, 1971: 145</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FA05F813FCE7F7DC"author="JORDAN, D. S. & C. H. EIGENMANN"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="329 - 441"refId="ref29782"refString="JORDAN, D. S. & C. H. EIGENMANN: 1890. A review of the genera and species of Serranidae found in the waters of America and Europe. Bull. U. S. Fish Comm., 8 (1888): 329 - 441, pls. 60 - 69."type="journal article"year="1890">JORDAN and EIGENMANN (1890)</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FDA7F7A7FD38F7B6"author="BOULENGER, G. A."bookContentInfo="Second edition, Taylor and Francis, London. 394 pp"box="[513,756,2112,2140]"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"refId="ref27380"refString="1895. Catalogue of the Perciform Fishes in the British Museum. I. Second edition, Taylor and Francis, London. 394 pp."title="Catalogue of the Perciform Fishes in the British Museum. I."type="book"year="1895">BOULENGER (1895)</bibRefCitation>
and C.L.
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FCD2F7A7FBDBF7B6"author="SMITH, C. L."box="[884,1047,2112,2140]"journalOrPublisher="Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist."pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="1 - 241"part="146"refId="ref31738"refString="SMITH, C. L.: 1971. A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 146: 1 - 241."title="A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera"type="journal article"year="1971">SMITH (1971)</bibRefCitation>
. JENYNS' (1843) original description of a 4.25 inch fish collected by CHARLES DARWIN, does not accord with adscensionis: the dorsal fin rays are too few (15, vs. 16 - 18), and the colour pattern does not fit (no mention of the characteristic dark reddish brown spots on the head and body of
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FC84F6A3FBECF6B3"author="VALENCIENNES, A."box="[802,1056,2372,2398]"pageId="14"pageNumber="19"refId="ref32623"refString="VALENCIENNES, A.: 1828. See Cuvier & Valenciennes."title="See Cuvier & Valenciennes"type="book"year="1828">VALENCIENNES, 1828</bibRefCitation>
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FDCFF68DFCC9F66D"author="SMITH, C. L."box="[617,773,2410,2439]"journalOrPublisher="Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist."pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="1 - 241"part="146"refId="ref31738"refString="SMITH, C. L.: 1971. A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera. Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 146: 1 - 241."title="A revision of the American groupers: Epinephelus and allied genera"type="journal article"year="1971">SMITH (1971)</bibRefCitation>
, but
<bibRefCitationid="EFD4F9C0717EFFC3FCE7F68CFB8AF66D"author="BAUCHOT"box="[833,1094,2410,2439]"etAl="et al."firstAuthor="BAUCHOT"journalOrPublisher="Bull. Mus. natn. Hirt nat."pageId="14"pageNumber="19"pagination="3 3 - - 82"part="3"refId="ref26586"refString="BAUCHOT, M. - L., M. DESOUTTER & J. E. RANDALL: 1984. Catalogue critique des types de Poissons du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle (Suite) (Famille des Serranidae).) Bull. Mus. natn. Hirt nat., Paris 6 (3): 3 3 - - 82.."title="Catalogue critique des types de Poissons du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle (Suite) (Famille des Serranidae)"type="journal volume"year="1984">
<collectingCountryid="F352C4A1717FFFC2FD9EFB27FD05FB3B"box="[568,713,1216,1234]"name="Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha"pageId="15"pageNumber="20">ST. HELENA</collectingCountry>
<collectionCodeid="ED541CF4717FFFC2FB81FB27FBA3FB38"box="[1063,1135,1216,1234]"collectionName="USA, Washington D.C., National Museum of Natural History, [formerly, United States National Museum]"pageId="15"pageNumber="20">USNM</collectionCode>
