Epinephelus geoffroyi (Klunzinger, 1870) (Pisces: Serranidae), a valid species of grouper endemic to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden

摘要

The grouper Epinephelus geoffroyi (Klunzinger), type locality Red Sea, previously regarded as a synonym of E. chlo-rostigma (Valenciennes) is recognized as a valid species. It is differentiated from E. chlorostigma by having 25-29 (mod-ally 27) gill rakers vs. 23-26 (modally 24), a more angular anal fin, the dark spots on the abdomen more widely separated, and lacking a clear white margin posteriorly on the caudal fin. The missing holotype of E. geoffroyi was found at the Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde Stuttgart (SMNS 233,191 mm). Epinephelus chlorostigma is wide-ranging from the Gulf of Aden and east coast of Africa to Samoa; it is reported from the depth range of 32-280 m. Epinephelus geoffroyi is presently known only from the Red Sea and Gulfof Aden at depths of 3-32 m. Illustrations are provided for three other species of groupers with numerous small dark spots, E. areolatus (Forsskal), E. gabriellae Randall & Heemstra, and E. polylepis Randall & Heemstra, that are, or might be, sympatic with E. geoffroyi.