Serranidae include on the one hand the loaches and groupers which are the second group of fish of big size of the lagoons and reefs after the sharks, and on the other hand Anthias which are small fish of small size.

Loaches and groupers

The loaches are remote parents of the grouper of the Mediterranean and are characterized by a very large mouth and an often remarkable camouflage. These fish, rather thickset, are to be seen squated close to the bottom, near a coral pie or a fissure in the reef. This group is rather vast since it includes more than 20 species going of the honeycomb loach (tarao maraurau) (Epinephelus will merra) which rarely exceeds 20 cm to the mother loach or giant grouper (hapuu reru) (Epinephelus lanceolatus) which manages to exceed 200 kg. Among the species of average size which are most common, let us quote the marbled loach (Epinephelus polyphekadion) or hapuu and the celestial grouper (Cephalopholis argus) or roï, which is required in certain islands but carefully avoided in others because of their flesh which can be toxic. All the groupers are carnivorous which stalk and can rush at a prey with an impressive speed. They are easy to approach in the zones where they are not stalked. The majority of the loaches have a great longevity (more than 10 years and often more than 20 years), a weak recruitment and a slow growth, which make of them species particularly vulnerable to fishing. It should be noted that the densities and diversities of loaches in the atolls are low in comparison of what is observed in the western Pacific.

Anthias