Ecologia1996-4021xxxx-xxxxAcademic Journals Inc.10.3923/ecologia.2015.22.30Epinephelus Genus Groupers off Kenyan South Coast Indian Ocean Marine Waters]]>OgongoB.O. MwachiroE.C. FulandaB.M. 1201551Groupers are apex predatory fishes playing important local economic roles and ecosystem functions worldwide. The Kenyan coast Indian Ocean waters have been a good landing centre for 30 Epinephelus genus species groupers. However, of late, their natural populations have greatly decreased with most being caught when still either juveniles or sub adults. Their individuals mean length and weights also showing drastic reductions. Thus, to avert this alarming population decline, length and weight reductions, information data is needed for use in the initiation of conservation measures for these prized premium fishes. This study therefore elucidates the population structure, conditions and length-weight relationships of 10 highly sought vulnerable Epinephelus genus grouper fishes off Kenyan inshore marine waters. The study results indicate declining population abundances, varying significant conditions (p<0.001) and negative allometric Length-Weight Relationship (LWR) growth regression coefficients (r2) appearing stronger (r2>0.7048) for 9 of the species. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) between the regression line intercept (a) and slopes (b) among the species however revealed equal regression line slopes (p>0.05) demonstrating that all came from populations with equal slopes. The consistent non isometric patterns shown by the r2 analyses in the plotted power curved data also suggests that unless stringent management measures are implemented to restrict further over-exploitation of these International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) vulnerable listed fishes; it is likely that the species already categorized as Near Threatened in the IUCN red list would soon become Endangered while those Endangered extinct. This can greatly result into the alteration of the ecosystems ecological health as the fishes constitute important apex predators in the demersal food web and their stock depletions would be disastrous to the ecosystems.]]>Agembe, S., C.M. Mlewa and B. Kaunda-Arara,2010Serranidae) from inshore waters of Kenya.]]>991102Anam, R. and E. Mostarda,20122012Anderson, R.O. and S.J. Gutreuter,19891989pp: 283-300pp: 283-300Ayoade, A.A. and A.O.O. Ikulala,2007Hemichromis bimaculatus, Sarotherodon melanotheron and Chromidotilapia guentheri (Perciformes: Cichlidae) in Eleiyele Lake, Southwestern Nigeria.]]>55969977Beyer, J.E.,198751113Bolarinwa, J.B. and Q. Popoola,20132013Cone, R.S.,1989118510514Esseen, M. and M.D. Richmond,20112011pp: 340-379pp: 340-379Froese, R.,200622241253Froese, R. and D. Pauly,20112011Gupta, B.K., U.K. Sarkar, S.K. Bhardwaj and A. Pal,2011Ompok pabda (Hamilton 1822) (Siluriformes: Siluridae) from the River Gomti, a tributary of the River Ganga, India.]]>27962964Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall,19931993Hossain, M.Y. and J. Ohtomi,2010Trachysalambria curvirostris (Penaeidae) in Kagoshima Bay, southern Japan.]]>307582Hossain, M.Y., J. Ohtomi and Z.F. Ahmed,2009Puntius sarana (Hamilton, 1822) (Cyprinidae) in the Ganges river, Northwestern Bangladesh.]]>9223225Hossain, M.Y., M.M. Rahman and M.F.A. Mollah,2009Pangasius pangasius Hamilton-buchanan, 1822 (Pangasiidae).]]>84315316Hossain, M.Y., M.M. Rahman, B. Fulanda, M.A.S. Jewel, F. Ahamed and J. Ohtomi,201228275277Jennings, S. and M.J. Kaiser,199834201212, 212e, 213-352Kaunda-Arara, B., G.A. Rose, M.S. Muchiri and R. Kaka,20032105116Laurence, G.C.,197976890895Mangi, S.,20062006Marino, G., E. Azzurro, A. Massari, M.G. Finoia and A. Mandich,200158909927McClanahan, T.R. and N.A.J. Graham,2005294241248McClanahan, T.R., C.C. Hicks and E.S. Darling,20081815161529Myers, R.A., J.K. Baum, T.D. Shepherd, S.P. Powers and C.H. Peterson,200731518461850Muchlisin, Z.A., M. Musman and M.N.S. Azizah,2010Rasbora tawarensis and Poropuntius tawarensis, endemic to Lake Laut Tawar, Aceh Province, Indonesia.]]>26949953Naeem, M., A. Salam, Q. Gillani and A. Ishtiaq,2010Notopterus notopterus and introduced Oreochromis niloticus from the Indus River, southern Punjab, Pakistan.]]>26620620Naeem, M., A. Salam and A. Ishtiaq,2011Tor putitora from Pakistan.]]>2711331134Ogongo, O.B., M.E. Chenje and F.B. Mulwa,2015Epinephelus genus groupers off Kenyan South coast marine waters.]]>10159170Patiyal, R.S., R.C. Sharma, P. Punia, M. Goswami and W.S. Lakra,2010Tor putitora (Hamilton, 1822) from the Ladhiya River, Uttarakhand, India.]]>26472473Sani, R., B.K. Gupta, U.K. Sarkar, A. Pandey, V.K. Dubey and W.S. Lakra,201026456459Sarkar, U.K., P.K. Deepak and R.S. Negi,2009Chitala chitala (Hamilton 1822) from the River Ganga basin, India.]]>25232233Sarkar, U.K., G.E. Khan, A. Dabas, A.K. Pathak and J.I. Mir et al.,201334951956UNEP and WIOMSA.,20152015Yousaf, M., A. Salam and M. Naeem,2009Wallago attu and Sperata sarwari from the Indus River, Southern Punjab, Pakistan.]]>25614615