Abstract

Large Groupers are predatory fish, with large size, diversity of shapes and colors, and are considered a group of species extremely vulnerable to fishing because of their slow growth, late sexual maturity, long life, and spawning aggregations in predictable locations and times. In the San Andrés, Old Providence and Saint Kathleen Archipelago, Seaflower Biosphere Reserve, you can find species like Epinephelus adscensionis, E. itajara, E. striatus, E. guttatus, E. morio, Mycteroperca venenosa, M. tigris and M. bonaci among others. Prada et al. (2005) reports spawning aggregations of M. bonaci and M. tigris on the islands of Old Providence and Saint Kathleen, known as the Center Marine Protected Area (Center MPA). This investigation purpose is to study the large Groupers spawning aggregations in the Center MPA of Seaflower BR, where visual censuses were conducted in areas with coral reef habitats platform edges (where the most of visualizations happens), reef crests, plain coral reefs and headlands, where the most abundant fish spawning aggregations species were M. tigris, E. striatus and Cephalopholis fulva (first report of Spag’s for the last two in the study area) and small abundances of M. bonaci and M. venenosa. We also found that most of the events of aggregation occurred around the full moon time (three to four days before or after) and that the most common behaviors and more frequently in fish were the color changes and pregnant females and less frequently were the courtship and aggression.

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