Identification key of groupers (Serranidae: Epinephelinae), tribe Epinephelini collected from various Philippine localities including specimens in the collection of the Philippine National Museum

• Main Author: Alonto, Faisal Arrieta, Jr.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2005
• Subjects: Groupers; Serranidae; Fishes > Identification; Marine Biology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/3285; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=10123&context=etd_masteral
• Institution: De La Salle University

Forty (40) noteworthy species of groupers belonging to 6 genera of the tribe Epinephelini, subfamily Epinephelinae, family Serannidae were identified based on specimens obtained from several localities (Iloilo City, Cebu City, Camarines Norte, Batangas), from wet markets of the National Capital Region (Manila, Quezon City, and Paranaque City), including the grouper collection of the Philippine National Museum. The species identified were: Anyperodon leucogrammicus, Cephalopholis aurantia, C. boenak, C. cyanostigma, C. formosa, C. micropion, C. miniatus, C. leopardus, Cephalopholis sexmaculata, Cephalopholis sonnerati, C. urodeta, Cromileptes altivelis, Epinephelus areolatus, E. bleekeri, E. coeruleopunctatus, E. chlorostigma, E. coioides, E. corallicola, E. fasciatomaculosus, E. fasciatus, E. fuscoguttatus, E. hexagonatus,, E. maculatus, E. malabaricus, E. melanostigma, E. merra, E. morrhua, E.ongus, E. polypekadion, E. quoyanus, E. sexfasciatus, E. spilotoceps, E. tauvina, E. undulosus, Plectropomus areolatus, P. leopardus, P. maculatus, P. oligacanthus, Variola albimarginata Baissac, and V. louti . Each species is redescribed based on diagnostic characters of color and coloration, meristics, and metrics, and each is photographed, and treated in taxonomic keys. Nomenclature of species-taxa is based primarily on Randall and Heemstra (1999). Problems of synonymies and misidentifications were discussed and resolved based also on Randall and Heesmtra (1999). As a result of the study, seven instances of synonymies, misidentifications, and misspellings were noted and 9 outdated names were recommended for revision of Herres (1953) Checklist of Philippine Fishes. Finally, 14 new records of groupers are added to the collection of the Philippine National Museum namely: Cephalopholis formosa, C. sexmaculata, C. sonnerati, Epinephelus bleekeri, E. corallicola, E. coioides, E. fuscoguttatus, E. malabaricus, E. maculatus, E. melanostigma, E. polyphekadion, Plectropomus areolatus, P. oligacanthus, and Variola albimarginata.