Cephalopholis taeniops

Cephalopholis taeniops, the African hind, bluespotted sea bass or spotted grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. This species occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade and is a target for local fisheries. It is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean.

Habitat

Cephalopholis taeniops is a demersal species which can be found in shallow rocky reefs and on sandy bottoms. It is a diandric protogynous hermaphrodite. Some of the males do not necessarily have a functional female stage and may develop into males from sexually immature females. The females reach sexual maturity when they attain a total length of 18 centimetres (7.1 in).

Distribution

Cephalopholis taeniops is found in the eastern Atlantic Ocean along the western coast of Africa from Morocco to Angola. It is also found around the Cape Verde Islands and the islands in the Gulf of Guinea. In the Mediterranean Sea it was first recorded in the Gulf of Sirte (Libya) and later in Sicily (Italy), Malta, Israel, Lebanon and in the Aegean Sea. It has also been recorded around the Canary Islands where it is thought to have been introduced in ballast water discharged by oil platforms from West Africa.