412
12 Species Case Studies
sites, (2) the main migration routes to aggregation sites and (3) the area from which
a particular aggregation site draws individuals would help in determining the scales
of potential fi shing effects and in designing locally appropriate management strategies. Similarly, it will be important to determine biological characteristics, such as
maturity and spawning periods, locally to ensure management arrangements are
suitable. The biggest challenge is gaining ongoing local support for management
measures to give adequate protection during aggregation and non-aggregation
periods. Estimates of total fi shing mortality and stock status, better species-level
catch estimates and information on ‘high-grading’ practices (discarding to make
room for more valuable or legal-sized fi sh) and post-release survival of discarded
fi sh are also needed.
12.3 Red Hind – Epinephelus guttatus
Richard S. Nemeth
Centre for Marine and Environmental Studies , University of the Virgin Islands ,
St. Thomas , USVI 00802
e-mail: rnemeth@uvi.edu
12.3.1 General
Red hind ( Epinephelus guttatus ) are one of the more common groupers on coral reef
habitats ranging from Brazil to Bermuda (Robins and Ray 1986 ) . Red hind occupy
shallow reefs from 3 to 50 m depth. Red hind reach maximum length and age at
50–55 cm (exceptionally to 72 cm) and 11, exceptionally to 22 years (Smith 1971 ;
Olsen and LaPlace 1979 ; Thompson and Munro 1978 ; Randall 1983 ; Colin et al.
1987 ; Luckhurst et al. 1992 ; Sadovy et al. 1992 ) . The home range of 22 fi sh (124–
298 mm SL) ranged in size from 112 to 5,635 m
2 in shallow inshore areas of Puerto
Rico over a 5-month period (Shapiro et al. 1994 ) .
12.3.2 Reproductive Biology
Red hind are protogynous hermaphrodites and change sex from female to male at
32–41 cm total length (Sadovy et al. 1992 ; Nemeth 2005 ; Whiteman et al. 2005 ) .
Their spawning aggregations have been studied in a number of locations throughout the Caribbean including the US Virgin Islands (Olsen and LaPlace 1979 ;
Beets and Friedlander 1999 ; Nemeth 2005 ; Whiteman et al. 2005 ; Nemeth et al.
2006 ) , Puerto Rico (Colin et al. 1987 ; Sadovy et al. 1992, 1994 ; Shapiro et al. 1993 ) ,
12 Species Case Studies
sites, (2) the main migration routes to aggregation sites and (3) the area from which
a particular aggregation site draws individuals would help in determining the scales
of potential fi shing effects and in designing locally appropriate management strategies. Similarly, it will be important to determine biological characteristics, such as
maturity and spawning periods, locally to ensure management arrangements are
suitable. The biggest challenge is gaining ongoing local support for management
measures to give adequate protection during aggregation and non-aggregation
periods. Estimates of total fi shing mortality and stock status, better species-level
catch estimates and information on ‘high-grading’ practices (discarding to make
room for more valuable or legal-sized fi sh) and post-release survival of discarded
fi sh are also needed.
12.3 Red Hind – Epinephelus guttatus
Richard S. Nemeth
Centre for Marine and Environmental Studies , University of the Virgin Islands ,
St. Thomas , USVI 00802
e-mail: rnemeth@uvi.edu
12.3.1 General
Red hind ( Epinephelus guttatus ) are one of the more common groupers on coral reef
habitats ranging from Brazil to Bermuda (Robins and Ray 1986 ) . Red hind occupy
shallow reefs from 3 to 50 m depth. Red hind reach maximum length and age at
50–55 cm (exceptionally to 72 cm) and 11, exceptionally to 22 years (Smith 1971 ;
Olsen and LaPlace 1979 ; Thompson and Munro 1978 ; Randall 1983 ; Colin et al.
1987 ; Luckhurst et al. 1992 ; Sadovy et al. 1992 ) . The home range of 22 fi sh (124–
298 mm SL) ranged in size from 112 to 5,635 m
2 in shallow inshore areas of Puerto
Rico over a 5-month period (Shapiro et al. 1994 ) .
12.3.2 Reproductive Biology
Red hind are protogynous hermaphrodites and change sex from female to male at
32–41 cm total length (Sadovy et al. 1992 ; Nemeth 2005 ; Whiteman et al. 2005 ) .
Their spawning aggregations have been studied in a number of locations throughout the Caribbean including the US Virgin Islands (Olsen and LaPlace 1979 ;
Beets and Friedlander 1999 ; Nemeth 2005 ; Whiteman et al. 2005 ; Nemeth et al.
2006 ) , Puerto Rico (Colin et al. 1987 ; Sadovy et al. 1992, 1994 ; Shapiro et al. 1993 ) ,