Abstract
Dusky grouper (garoupa, Epinephelus marginatus) is an important catch for several artisanal small-scale fisheries along the Brazilian coast. It is a sedentary, monandric, and late maturing protogynous species, which makes it vulnerable to overharvesting even though it is mainly caught through hook and line or spear fishing through free diving. Lack of information on the ecology and biology of this species in Brazil is astonishing. Much of the information found in the literature concerns Mediterranean dusky groupers. Studies compiling local knowledge (ethnoecology) about fish species complement biological data, and have been fundamental for effective fisheries management. In this study, our objectives are to obtain data about dusky grouper through fish catches and analysis of stomach contents and gonad maturation (macroscopic analyses), along with interviews from fishermen from six small-scales communities from the southern (Pântano do Sul, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State) to the northern Brazilian coast (Porto Sauípe, Bahia State). We conclude that precautionary approaches and 'data-less' management approaches are needed in the coast of Brazil. Research on this species and on the potential of aquaculture for its cultivation, are urgent, due to the apparent vulnerability and decrease of dusky grouper along the coast of Brazil.
Highlights
The dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) or garoupa, as it is called in Brazil, is widely distributed in the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean Sea to South Africa and Madagascar [1]
Fishing spots used to catch dusky grouper along the coast of Brazil: number of interviews and fish sampled Sixty-two dusky groupers were collected in the local markets, 22 at Bertioga and 40 at Copacabana, mostly (50% of individuals sampled) in the month of November (Table 1)
We did not collect Epinephelus marginatus, either at Bahia (Porto Sauípe/Itacimirim), nor at Itaipu (Rio de Janeiro – in this case fishermen stressed that dusky grouper can only be caught only in distant flat rocks locally called 'lajes')
Summary
The dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus) or garoupa, as it is called in Brazil, is widely distributed in the Atlantic, from the Mediterranean Sea to South Africa and Madagascar [1]. In the Western Atlantic this fish occurs in Brazil, with its southernmost distribution in Argentina [1]. In Brazil, it is caught frequently in artisanal fisheries of the southern coast, Santa Catarina State and the southeastern coast (São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro States) [2]. Dusky grouper lives in rocky substrates and is one of the most important commercial fishes found on the southeastern Brazilian coast [7]. It occurs from shallow to deep waters, reaching a depth of more than 200 meters [2]. Much of the commercial catch is taken during summer spawning aggregations at specific sites known to fishermen [8]
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