Costa Rica’s Jewfish

Jewfish

Jewfish in the Pacific Coast are given a lot of names by the locals which are used colloquially. It is called the ‘goliath grouper’ in some places and ‘itajara’ in other places. It’s scientific name is the “Epinephelus itajara” but it is still called jewfish in most places over the world. The jewfish found in the Pacific belongs to that branch of the grouper family which usually exists in saltwater and brackish waters. This subtype of jewfish is found almost exclusively in the tropical waters of Costa Rica and surrounding lands. The jewfish inhabits corals and reefs found in the sea and oceans. It can be found at a depth range of approximately 15 – 165 feet in the ocean, living amongst the coral reefs. The jewfish travels through most oceans. Some of the places on its destination route include the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, a lot of the Caribbean area, and almost the entire Brazilian coastline. The Brazilians have their own local name for the jewfish which is ‘mero’.

The jewfish usually prefers to live in canals or mangroves swamps. The younger grouper fish especially live almost exclusively in these areas which scientists claim is strange. The jewfish are some of the largest grouper fish in the sea. A full grown jewfish can reach lengths of almost 8.2 feet. The weight of the jewfish can reach up to 363 kg. The lives of the jewfish are critically endangered because their meat is considered very delicious in some areas of the world. Due to this, they are the most sought after fish in the ocean. Fishermen from all over the world come to the Pacific Ocean to catch a group of jewfish which will then turn into tasty delicacies in city restaurants. The line of pure jewfish is in more and more danger each day. The problem also lies with jewfishes’ own nature and penchant for curiosity. It is called a fearless fish of the ocean and has a very inquisitive nature. Due to this, the jewfish can be caught and captured easily by the fishermen who hope for this exact situation to occur each time they visit Costa Rica. Another problem that jewfish cause for themselves is that they rarely leave a territory they have marked as home. Even if they do migrate to another place, they will eventually end up back to the initial place sooner or later which makes even easier prey of them for the fishermen. At one point, before the protective authorities noticed, the lives of jewfish were in such massive danger that they almost became extinct. Now however, the jewfish has been recognized as a critically endangered species and is being protected by the relevant authorities. The mating and growth rate of the jewfish is exceptionally slow so it will take a lot of time before they are replenished to their earlier numbers in the ocean.The diet of the jewfish is composed of crustaceans in the sea and also small fish, octopuses, and baby sea turtles. The jewfish is prey to barracudas, eels, and some bigger sharks in the ocean.

Video for Jewfish

 

Reference

Epinephelus itajara. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2007. International Union for Conservation of Nature. 2006.

http://www.igfa.org/records/Fish-Records.aspx?Fish=Grouper,%20goliath&LC=ATR

 

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