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Courtship and spawning behaviors of coral reef fishes are very complex, and sufficient sampling effort and proper methods are required to draw informed conclusions on their mating systems that are grounded in contemporary theories of mate choice and sexual selection. We reviewed the recent study by Karkarey et al. (BMC Ecol 17:10, 2017) on the spawning behavior of Squaretail coralgrouper (Plectropomus areolatus) from India and found no evidence to support their findings of alternative reproductive tactics, unique school-spawning involving a single male with multiple females, or inverse size-assortment. The study lacks scientific credibility due to a lack of rigor in the methodology used, misinterpretation of observed behaviors, misinterpretation of the literature, and insufficient data. Their approach led the authors to produce spurious results and profound, invalid conclusions that violate the most basic assumptions of mate choice and sexual selection theory as applied to mating systems in marine fishes.

Abstract--Squaretail coralgrouper (Plectropomus areolatus) were captured and tagged at a fish spawning aggregation (FSA) site with conventional and acoustic tags to assess their vulnerability to fishing and spatial dynamics during [...]

Camouflage grouper, Epinephelus polyphekadion (Bleeker, 1849), and squaretail coralgrouper, Plectropomus areolatus (Rüppell, 1830), are commercially important medium‐bodied groupers that aggregate at specific sites and times to spawn and are highly vulnerable to fishing during these events. Populations of both species are in decline globally, such that management specifically targeting these species is warranted.A 12‐month fish market survey in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, provided an opportunity to examine age‐based reproductive life history of these two groupers and assess whether current management acts to conserve them. Life history characteristics of both E. polyphekadion and P. areolatus include a functionally gonochoristic sexual pattern and rapid growth particularly during early life history.P. areolatus demonstrated early maturity (2.8 years) and a relatively brief lifespan (10 years), while delayed maturity (4.5 years) and higher longevity (25 years) was shown for E. polyphekadion. The spawning seasons for E. polyphekadion and P. areolatus were 2 and 3 months, respectively, which fall entirely within the January–April grouper sales, catch, and export ban period for Chuuk. Marketed catch included 22% E. polyphekadion and 15% P. areolatus juveniles, suggesting that size limits may aid in the conservation of these species.Findings from this and recent grouper life history studies suggest that the current 4‐month ban in Chuuk be applied only to grouper species known to reproduce during these months to minimize economic impacts to fishers and market owners, and prevent shifts in fishing pressure to more vulnerable species, such as those with low population turnover times, slow growth, or late maturity. Size limits for catch, sale and export are also warranted as an additional management option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a non‐invasive technique that uses hydrophones to monitor populations and ecosystem dynamics. Although many applications of PAM have been developed in recent years, it has never been used to identify a calling marine species.The south pass of Fakarava Atoll, French Polynesia, hosts spawning events of many reef fish species, including the camouflage grouper Epinephelus polyphekadion, with a spawning aggregation abundance exceeding 17 000 individuals during the full moons of June and July.The current study aimed to use PAM to distinguish camouflage grouper sounds among the vocal activities of all fish recorded during the aggregation periods. Audio recordings analysis resulted in the identification of 29 sound types, some of which showed diel and lunar patterns.Temporal analysis of these sounds in relation to spawning activities allowed the identification of camouflage grouper calls. These calls can be described as a single pulse or a series of 'boom(s)' with a pulse duration of ~44 ms and a low dominant frequency of 103 ± 31 Hz. Video recordings show that the camouflage grouper produces the 'booms' to initialize spawner ascent and to promote synchronous gamete release into the water column.The study highlights for the first time that PAM can be used to identify the previously unknown sound of a fish species. Moreover, we can use it to understand the phenology of some biological activities for improving the resolution of fish biodiversity assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groupers are a valuable fishery resource of reef ecosystems and are among those species most vulnerable to fishing pressure because of life history characteristics including longevity, late sexual maturation and aggregation spawning. Despite their economic importance, few grouper fisheries are regularly monitored or managed at the species level, and many are reported to be undergoing declines. To identify major threats to groupers, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List criteria were applied to all 163 species. Red List assessments show that 20 species (12%) risk extinction if current trends continue, and an additional 22 species (13%) are considered to be Near Threatened. The Caribbean Sea, coastal Brazil and Southeast Asia contain a disproportionate number of Threatened species, while numerous poorly documented and Near Threatened species occur in many regions. In all, 30% of all species are considered to be Data Deficient. Given that the major threat is overfishing, accompanied by a general absence and/or poor application of fishery management, the prognosis for restoration and successful conservation of Threatened species is poor. We believe that few refuges remain for recovery and that key biological processes (e.g. spawning aggregations) continue to be compromised by uncontrolled fishing. Mariculture, through hatchery-rearing, increases production of a few species and contributes to satisfying high market demand, but many such operations depend heavily on wild-caught juveniles with resultant growth and recruitment overfishing. Better management of fishing and other conservation efforts are urgently needed, and we provide examples of possible actions and constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The harvesting of groupers (Serranidae) in Indonesia for the live reef food fish trade (LRFFT) has been ongoing since the late 1980s. Eight sites in Komodo National Park that included two fish spawning aggregation (FSA) sites were monitored for groupers and humphead wrasse, Cheilinus undulatus, from 1998 to 2003 and from 2005 to 2008 to examine temporal changes in abundance and assess the effectiveness of conservation and management efforts. Monitoring identified FSA sites for squaretail coralgrouper, Plectropomus areolatus, and brown-marbled grouper, Epinephelus fuscoguttatus. Both species formed aggregations before and during full moon from September to December, prior to lapses in monitoring (2003-2005) and in enforcement (2004-2005). Following these lapses, data reveal substantial declines in P. areolatus abundance and the apparent extirpation of one aggregation at one site. Other non-aggregating species targeted by the LRFFT showed similar declines at three of eight monitored sites. This paper highlights the impact of FSA fishing and the need for a seamless monitoring and enforcement protocol in areas where aggregation fishing pressure is high. Within Komodo National Park, local fishers, particularly those operating on behalf of the LRFFT, pose a serious threat to population persistence of species targeted by this trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]