From July to September, sexually mature groupers gather in large numbers, a few dozen to hundreds of individuals in rocky areas at a depth of 15 to 30 m. Around the month of August, at nightfall, the groupers gather in courtship and the emission of gametes lasts only a few days. Fertilisation takes place in open water and the eggs are pelagic. They hatch about 40 hours after fertilisation. Larvae start feeding on the third day.
![Dusky grouper](/sites/default/files/styles/cm_545x705/public/paragraphs/animal_identity/2023-06/Merou_brun_H.Appourchaux%20ID.jpg.webp?itok=pFvopf8Y)
Identity card
Dusky grouper
- Scientific name:
- Epinephelus marginatus
- Family:
- Serranidae
- Class:
- Actinopterygii
- Phylum:
- Chordata
- Year of description:
- Lowe, 1834
- IUCN Status:
- Vulnerable
- Distribution:
-
In the Mediterranean and in the eastern Atlantic.
- Habitat:
-
The dusky grouper lives on uneven rocky seabeds with cavities or caves for shelter.
- Size:
40 to 80 cm, maximum size approximately 140 cm.
- Diet:
-
The dusky grouper feeds mainly on cephalopods (cuttlefish, octopus and squid), crustaceans and fish.
- Longevity:
The largest specimens can live up to 60 years