Diverse and predominantly sub-adult Epinephelus sp. groupers from small-scale fisheries in South Sulawesi, Indonesia

Groupers (Family Epinephelidae) are commonly caught in data-poor small-scale multi-species fisheries for sale on both export and domestic markets. This study presents data on the species composition and size/life-stage structure of Epinephelus spp. groupers caught by small-scale fishers and sold locally in the Indonesian province of South Sulawesi. Data were collected from fishing ports and local markets at 12 sites representing the three seaways around South Sulawesi (Makassar Strait, Flores Sea, Gulf of Bone). Each specimen (n = 3,398) was photographed alongside an object of known length, and total length (TL) was obtained using the Rapid Scaling on Object (RASIO). Of the 23 species identified, four ( Epinephelus areolatus , Epinephelus ongus , Epinephelus quoyanus , and Epi-nephelus fasciatus ) collectively comprised 69% of the catch, while the 13 least abundant species contributed less than 5%. The catch was dominated (67%) by the subadult life-stage, with just under 20% in the adult class. Juveniles dominated the catch of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus , a valuable export commodity. Observations of early maturity as well as the sizeable gap between length at first capture ( Lc ) and length at first maturity ( Lm ) indicate recruitment overfishing of most species, with the notable exception of Epinephelus rivulatus . The proportion of adult fish was low (≈5%–30%) for the twelve most abundant species ( E. areolatus , E. ongus , Epinephelus quoyanus , E. fasciatus , Epinephelus coioides , Epinephelus faveatus , Epinephelus sexfasciatus , Epinephelus maculatus , Epinephelus bleek-eri , Epinephelus corallicola , E. fuscoguttatus , Epinephelus polyphekadion ). For two moderately abundant species ( E. faveatus and E. malabaricus ), TL < Lm for all specimens. The limited data available indicate spawning ratio is lower than reported from deep-water fisheries of E. areolatus and E. coioides . The results call for targeted research to fill knowledge gaps regarding the biology and ecology of groupers exploited mainly for domestic markets; highlight the need for species-level data to inform management policies such as minimum legal size regulations; and can contribute towards species-level status assessments.