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| Epinephelus craigi
Frable, Tucker & Walker, 2018
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Abstract
A new species of grouper, Epinephelus craigi sp. nov., from the South China Sea is described from 17 specimens (104–250 mm SL). The new species is distinguished from Epinephelus stictus (Randall and Allen 1987) with which it has historically been conflated, based on coloration, meristics, morphology, and genetics. Epinephelus craigi sp. nov. has a unique color pattern of irregular squarish, dark brown blotches interrupting lighter brown bars along the lateral midline of the body, and small dots on the dorsal surface of the body. Additionally, E. craigi sp. nov. has a longer upper jaw, shorter snout length, narrower interorbital width, and shorter caudal peduncle than E. stictus. Both E. stictus and the new species are relatively deep-water species, with the new species occurring to at least 93 m. Epinephelus craigi sp. nov. is known from the South China Sea and E. stictus is known from Western Australia and southern Indonesia, suggesting allopatric and anti-equatorial distributions. DNA sequence divergence data of the mitochondrial COI gene further supports the distinction of E. craigi sp. nov. from E. stictus.
Keywords: Epinephelus stictus, Five-bar grouper, Species description, Cytochrome oxidase I
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| Composite illustration of Epinephelus craigi, based on multiple specimens and market photographs, approximately 175 mm SL.
Illustration by Emilie Stump.
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Epinephelus craigi sp. nov.
(New English name: Brokenbar Grouper;
Chinese name in Hong Kong: Cheung-pei-paan)
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Etymology. The new species is named in honor of Dr. Matthew T. Craig for his significant contributions to the conservation and scientific understanding of groupers and their relatives.
Benjamin W. Frable, Sarah J. Tucker and H. J. Walker, Jr. 2018. A New Species of Grouper, Epinephelus craigi (Perciformes: Epinephelidae), from the South China Sea. Ichthyological Research. DOI: 10.1007/s10228-018-0669-9
