LAUSR

Here, we investigate the evolution of scientific literature on the Goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara), the largest grouper species in the Atlantic. This species was considered threatened according to the IUCN for nearly three decades due to overfishing and has been protected from fishing in a large part of its range. For the purpose of evaluating the scientific production on an endangered species banned from fishing, we present a scientometry and synthesis review analyzing the literature produced in the timeline and their studies content. To this end, we set up an almost 60-year literary database through the Scopus, Web of Science and Google Academic platforms. We analyze the publication and knowledge area patterns over the time in the world and in Brazil. We also feature the main areas, locations, ecosystems and types of those researches and briefly describing the main records found in each decade. An increase in the number of publications was observed from the 1990s onwards worldwide, and particularly in Brazil from the 2000s, coinciding with the pioneering legislations for species protection. Most of the studies were classified within ecology and conservation and took place in countries that implemented moratoriums and had extensive areas of mangroves. Thus, fishing moratorium, classification as endangered, mangroves distribution and conservation all play a role in the studies distribution and contribute positively for the knowledge as well as supporting conservation strategies for the species and its ecosystems of occurrence.