FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
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The Rock Hind, Epinephelus adscensionis, is a solitary fish that belongs to the genus Epinephelus. It is commonly referred to as Cod, Rock Grouper, Trout, Rock Cod, Deady, Grasby, and Butterfish. These fish can also be known as 'hinds' just like all other fish of the same genus. This distinct fish has brown spots all over its pale body, including its tail and fins over a tan-olive-brown base. The Rock Hind is 2 ft (60 cm) in length on average. The Rock Hind is frequently mistaken for the Red Hind, (Epinephelus guttatus), but the Red Hind is smaller and the tail has a black margin with no spots. These fish are carnivorous and their diet consists of crabs and fish. These distinct fish can be found in Western Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil covering the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, the north part of the Gulf of Mexico, and Florida. What's fascinating and unusual about these fish is that they are hermaphrodites, which means they can change their sex! Keep on reading to know about the appearance, distribution, diet, and much more about this distinguished fish in detail!
If you enjoy reading our Rock Hind facts, then you will surely enjoy reading about the spiny dogfish and catfish as well!
The Rock Hind, Epinephelus adscensionis, is a fish of medium size that weighs a whopping 987.5 lb (447.9 kg) on average! These hinds range in length from 1.9-2.1 ft (58-66 cm) and have an average length of 2 ft (60 cm).
The Rock Hind fish belongs to the class Actinopterygii and order Perciformes. The Rock Hind can also be called a Ray-finned fish because it is a member of this class. Ray-finned fishes are named so due to the fact that their fins are webs of flesh supported by bony spines.
The population of Rock Hind, Epinephelus adscensionis, is unknown. But we do know that they are widespread across the world occurring in shallow as well as deep reefs.
These hinds are commonly spotted in shallow waters as well as floating near the ocean's base. They are found in the western Atlantic from Massachusetts to the South of Brazil covering the Eastern Caribbean, Bahamas, Bermuda, and the north part of the Gulf of Mexico. They are scarce in Florida.
Their habitat range includes rocky inshore areas as well as deep reefs. This species of fish can be found in the western tropical and subtropical Pacific Ocean at depths of 6.5–131 ft (2–40 m).
The Rock hind is a solitary fish, that lives with its mate only during the breeding season.
They can live on average for 12 years. But it can live as long as 50 years!
This hind fish can migrate more than 30 km from their home areas to breeding grounds. The species releases eggs in pairs that form inside single-male/or multiple-female groups. The females lay on or near the bottom, whilst males roam about near the area where the females are. The male fish defends this area from other male hinds.
Their population trend is decreasing but their conservation status is Least Concern as per the IUCN's Red List.
The appearance of the Rock Hind and the Red Hind is similar. The Rock Hind has dark brown spots all over its body, tail, and fins. Its anal fins as well as its tail have wide white borders rather than the black edges found in Red Hinds. The Rock Hind fish may change, going pale or darker.
The Rock Hind has a distinct pattern that differentiates them. These pale groupers can be appealing to some but for people who have Trypophobia (fear of many dots), it can cause feelings of disgust as well as fear!
These solitary species make low-frequency noises for courting and spawning by vibrating their axial muscles against their swim bladders.
The Rock Hind grouper is quite long and has a length anywhere in the range of 23- 26 in (58-66 cm). They can grow up to 2.1 ft in length! They are almost five times the length of catfish.
The Rock Hind fish can be found in the ocean at depth levels of 6.5–131 ft (2–40 m). The speed with which they swim is unknown.
The Rock Hind is a significantly heavy fish weighing anywhere in the range of 975-1000 lb (442-453 kg)!
There is no significant name for the male or the female fish of this species.
The young of the Rock Hind fish can be called fry.
Their diet consists of crabs, shrimps, and fishes. They eat crabs mainly though. They look for their prey near the base of the ocean. Their prey is swallowed completely and is held firmly by many pointed teeth that surround the tongue, jaw, and roof of the mouth. Their main predators are sharks, namely the Silk shark, Tiger shark, and Caribbean Reef shark. They are also eaten by Yellowfin grouper and King Mackerel.
These groupers contain poisonous chemicals generated by dinoflagellates that bioaccumulate and can cause ciguatera, a rare deadly form of poisoning when swallowed. There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning which is a threat.
No, these groupers won't make very good pets as they would require huge enclosures to handle their bulky bodies. They are introverts and avoid engaging with humans. There haven't been any known instances of these fish kept as pets.
All Rock Hinds are born as females! Some change their sex to males later on as they are hermaphrodites.
A fish biting means that it is responding to the angler's line or caught in it. To tempt these pale groupers, the angler uses a very sturdy hook and line that is resistant to its strong jaws. It's a tough fight when the groupers bite. These groupers are infamous for getting an angler's line caught in rocks. When a bite is felt, it is usually because the line has been entangled by the grouper. When a large grouper gets caught, it is grasped by its gill covers since they are spiky and rough. Groupers have a great deal of power.
Yes, all the species of the genus Epinephelus are suitable to be eaten. They are in demand by sport fishermen.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other fish from our swai fish interesting facts and skate fish facts for kids.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Rock hind coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
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