Species profile
Rock Hind
Epinephelus adscensionis
At a glance
Rock Hind (Epinephelus adscensionis) is an IUCN Least Concern bony-fish species with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 19 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Florida, Texas, and Alabama the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Rock hinds are distinguished by a cluster of dark blotches along the back and a prominent dark saddle at the tail base.
- Like red hinds, they are protogynous hermaphrodites capable of changing sex from female to male.
- They inhabit rocky reef and rubble habitat from just below the surface down to about 130 feet.
- Rock hinds are solitary and territorial, actively defending a home range on the reef against other groupers.
- They can reach about 24 inches (61 cm) in length and are found across the Atlantic from Massachusetts to Brazil.
Where Rock Hind are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Rock Hind
Background
Epinephelus adscensionis, commonly known as the rock hind, is a species of ray-finned fish, a grouper within the subfamily, Epinephelinae. It is a wide-ranging species, from Ascension and St. Helena Islands and in the western Atlantic, as well as the Gulf of Mexico. They grow up to 60cm and to 3kg.
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Rock Hind article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.