Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Hyporthodus mystacinus (Poey, 1852)

mero, Misty grouper

Size: Reaching lengths of more than 1 m, one of the largest groupers in the Galapagos, reaching lengths of more than a meter.

Habitat: Scattered rock outcroppings over predominantly sand bottom

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Animalia

Phylum
Chordata

Class
Teleostei

Order
Perciformes

Suborder
Percoidei

Family
Serranidae

Genus
Hyporthodus

Species
mystacinus

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Epinephelus mystacinus (Poey, 1852), fide Appeltans et al. (2010)

Origin: Native

Status

Least concern

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Eastern Pacific and Atlantic, in the eastern Pacific only found in the Galapagos Islands

References

  • Grove, J.S. Lavenberg, R.J. (1997) The Fishes of the Galapagos Islands. Stanford University Press, Stanford California. 862 pp.
  • Humann, P. Deloach, N. (2003) Reef Fish Identification - Galapagos. New World Publication, Inc. Florida USA & Libri Mundi, Quito, Ecuador, 226 pp.
  • Appeltans, W. Bouchet, P., Boxshall, G.A., Fauchald, K., Gordon, D.P., Hoeksema, B.W., Poore, G.C.B., van Soest, R.W.M., Stöhr, S., Walter, T.C., Costello, M.J. (eds.) (2010) World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). Available online at http://www.marinespecies.org.
  • Rocha, L. Ferreira, B., Choat, J.H., Craig, M. & Sadovy, Y. (2008) Epinephelus mystacinus www.iucnredlist.org
  • McCosker, J.E. Rosenblatt, R.H. (2010) The fishes of the Galápagos Archipelago: an update. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sc., Ser. 4, vol. 61, Suppl. II, no. 11: 167-195.
  • Gelin, A. Gravez, V. (2002) Lagunas costeras. In: Danulat, E. & Edgar, G.J. (eds.) (2002): Reserva Marina de Galápagos. Línea Base de la Biodiversidad. Fundación Charles Darwin/Servicio Parque Nacional Galápagos, Santa Cruz, Galápagos, Ecuador, p. 119-145.

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Hyporthodus mystacinus", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=14609. Accessed 10 June 2025.