STOCK ASSESSMENT AND FISHERY EVALUATION REPORT FOR THE SNAPPER GROUPER FISHERY OF THE SOUTH ATLANTIC NOVEMBER 18, 2005 © Duane Raver Gag, Mycteroperca microlepis NOAA Home Page South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Home Page TABLE OF CONTENTS Click text in Table of Contents for internal links to other text in the document. Table of Contents............................................................................................................................. i List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. vi List of Figures............................................................................................................................... vii 1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................1-1 1.1 Executive Summary.....................................................................................................1-1 1.2 History of Management ...............................................................................................1-1 1.2.1 By FMP or Amendment...........................................................................................1-1 1.2.1.1 Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Plan (FMP) .......................................1-1 1.2.1.2 Amendment 1...................................................................................................1-2 1.2.1.3 Regulatory Amendments – SMZs off Florida .................................................1-2 1.2.1.4 Notice of Control Date – Wreckfish Fishery ...................................................1-2 1.2.1.5 Amendment 2...................................................................................................1-2 1.2.1.6 Amendment 3...................................................................................................1-3 1.2.1.7 Notice of Control Date - Snapper Grouper Fishery.........................................1-3 1.2.1.8 Amendment 4...................................................................................................1-3 1.2.1.9 Amendment 5...................................................................................................1-5 1.2.1.10 Emergency Regulations - Sea Bass Pots......................................................1-5 1.2.1.11 Regulatory Amendment – SMZs off South Carolina ..................................1-5 1.2.1.12 Amendment 6...............................................................................................1-5 1.2.1.13 Amendment 7...............................................................................................1-6 1.2.1.14 Regulatory Amendment - Atlantic EEZ off Florida Only ..........................1-6 1.2.1.15 Notice of Control Date - Black Sea Bass Pot Fishery .................................1-6 1.2.1.16 Amendment 8...............................................................................................1-7 1.2.1.17 Regulatory Amendment - SMZs off South Carolina ...................................1-7 1.2.1.18 Amendment 9...............................................................................................1-7 1.2.1.19 Regulatory Amendment - SMZs off Georgia ..............................................1-8 1.2.1.20 Emergency Rule – Red Porgy......................................................................1-8 1.2.1.21 Amendment 10.............................................................................................1-8 1.2.1.22 Amendment 11.............................................................................................1-8 1.2.1.23 Amendment 12.............................................................................................1-9 1.2.1.24 Amendment 13A........................................................................................1-10 1.2.1.25 Notice of Control Date – Snapper Grouper Fishery ..................................1-10 1.2.2 By Species..............................................................................................................1-10 1.2.2.1 Gag.................................................................................................................1-10 1.2.2.2 Goliath Grouper .............................................................................................1-11 1.2.2.3 Nassau Grouper..............................................................................................1-11 1.2.2.4 Deep Water Species .......................................................................................1-12 1.2.2.5 Yellowtail Snapper.........................................................................................1-12 1.2.2.6 Vermilion Snapper.........................................................................................1-13 1.2.2.7 Red Porgy.......................................................................................................1-13 1.2.2.8 Black Sea Bass...............................................................................................1-14 1.3 The SEDAR Process..................................................................................................1-14 1.4 Defining FMUs and FMU sub-units..........................................................................1-15 SOUTH ATLANTIC SNAPPER GROUPER i PREFACE SAFE REPORT 11/18/05 FINAL REPORT 2 Species Descriptions ............................................................................................................2-1 2.1 Shallow Water Grouper Unit 1A .................................................................................2-2 2.1.1 Gag, Mycteroperca microlepis.................................................................................2-2 2.1.2 Red grouper, Epinephelus morio .............................................................................2-3 2.1.3 Scamp, Mycteroperca phenax..................................................................................2-4 2.1.4 Black grouper, Mycteroperca bonaci ......................................................................2-4 2.1.5 Rock hind, Epinephelus adscensionis......................................................................2-5 2.1.6 Red hind, Epinephelus guttatus ...............................................................................2-5 2.1.7 Graysby, Cephalopholis cruentata ..........................................................................2-6 2.1.8 Yellowfin grouper, Mycteroperca venenosa............................................................2-7 2.1.9 Coney, Cephalopholis fulva.....................................................................................2-7 2.1.10 Yellowmouth grouper, Mycteroperca interstitialis .................................................2-8 2.1.11 Tiger grouper, Mycteroperca tigris..........................................................................2-8 2.2 Shallow Water Grouper Unit 1B..................................................................................2-9 2.2.1 Goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara ......................................................................2-9 2.3 Shallow Water Grouper Unit 1C................................................................................2-10 2.3.1 Nassau grouper, Epinephelus striatus....................................................................2-10 2.4 Deep Water Grouper, Tilefish, and Snapper Unit 2A................................................2-11 2.4.1 Snowy grouper, Epinephelus niveatus...................................................................2-11 2.4.2 Yellowedge grouper, Epinephelus flavolimbatus ..................................................2-11 2.4.3 Warsaw grouper, Epinephelus nigritus..................................................................2-12 2.4.4 Speckled hind, Epinephelus drummondhayi..........................................................2-12 2.4.5 Misty grouper, Epinephelus mystacinus ................................................................2-13 2.4.6 Queen snapper, Etelis oculatus..............................................................................2-13 2.5 Deep Water Grouper, Tilefish, and Snapper Unit 2B................................................2-14 2.5.1 Tilefish, Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps ...............................................................2-14 2.5.2 Blueline tilefish, Caulolatilus microps ..................................................................2-14 2.6 Shallow Water Snapper, Tilefish, and Wrasse Unit 3 ...............................................2-15 2.6.1 Yellowtail snapper, Ocyurus chrysurus.................................................................2-15 2.6.2 Gray (mangrove) snapper, Lutjanus griseus..........................................................2-16 2.6.3 Mutton snapper, Lutjanus analis ...........................................................................2-16 2.6.4 Lane snapper, Lutjanus synagris............................................................................2-17 2.6.5 Hogfish, Lachnolaimus maximus...........................................................................2-18 2.6.6 Cubera snapper, Lutjanus cyanopterus..................................................................2-18 2.6.7 Sand tilefish, Malacanthus plumieri......................................................................2-19 2.6.8 Dog snapper, Lutjanus jocu ...................................................................................2-19