G
roupers, members o one o thelargest amilies o shes oundin Florida waters, run thegamut o sizes and shapes, romthe diminutive graysby weighingseveral pounds to the mammothgoliath grouper that can tip the scales at 600 poundsor more. Grouper are an important commercial andrecreational commodity in Florida. Broiled, ried, orspicy “blackened” grouper is a staple on the menuso seaood restaurants.
Description
“Grouper” is thought to be a corruption o “garoupa,”a perch-like sh ound in Portugal. Groupers, alongwith sea basses and hamlets, are in the seabass amily,which is called Serranidae. Worldwide, there are over400 species o serranids; 61 o these are in NorthAmerica, and more than 40 are ound in Floridawaters.In general, groupers are oblong, large, and stout.Their small scales usually have a saw-toothed edge,and their ns are coarse and spiny. The massive,underslung jaws o these carnivores harbor strongteeth, and many species have two canine teeth at theront o each jaw. Three spines on each bony platecovering the gills require care when handling.Groupers, like chameleons, vary in color accordingto species, habitat, water depth, age, reproductiveseason, or stress. Because the dierent species are sosimilar in appearance, identication can be conusing.As with most sh, the skin pigments ade when the shis removed rom the water. Ten grouper species thatare ound in Florida are described below.
Black Grouper
(
Mycteroperca bonaci
)
Although similar in appearance to the gag, the blackgrouper has a more vivid color pattern that includesbrassy, bronze spots on the sideo the head and body and,sometimes, dark, rectangularblotches running the length o theback. Its ns are bordered in black.Black grouper may reach over 4eet and 180 pounds. They have been seen ormingspawning aggregations near the Florida Keys.
Gag Grouper
(
Mycteroperca microlepis
)
The gag’s brownish-gray body is covered with thin,dark, wormlike markings oten grouped in blotchesthat give the sh a marbled look. Its pelvic, anal, andtail ns are dark; the anal and tail ns sometimes havea white outer margin. It may reach over 4 eet and 70pounds, but most are much smaller. Juveniles inhabitestuarine seagrass beds beore moving into nearshoreand oshore waters. Adults orm spawning aggregationson oshore ledge habitats o the West Florida Shel.The gag is oten mistaken or black grouper.
Goliath grouper
(
Epinephelus itajara
)
The giant o the grouper amily, the goliath (ormerlycalled jewsh) has brown or yellow mottling with smallblack spots on the head and ns and has a gargantuanmouth with jawbones that extend well past its smalleyes. Its tail is rounded, and ve irregular, dark side-bands are most visible on juveniles. They can reachwhopping lengths o 8 eet or more, and the Floridarecord goes to a 680-pound goliath caught oFernandina Beach in 1961. Once a popular target oshermen, they are now protected rom all harvest inFlorida. They are opportunistic predators and eedmostly on slow-moving, bottom-associated speciessuch as crabs. Goliath groupers, even juveniles, canmake sounds and are known to make booming noisesto warn o intruders. Goliaths are particularly noisyduring the new moon.
GROUPERS
Chameleons of the Sea
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation CommissionFish and Wildlife Research Institute
Graysby
(
Cephalopholis cruentata
)
Also known as “Kitty Mitchell,” graysby are smallgrouper that preer coral rees or small ledge habitats.They are light reddish brown to gray with dark orangespots over the body. Graysby have three to ve darkspots along the base o the dorsal n and the tail isrounded. Although they generally grow to only 12inches, they oten live into their twenties.
Nassau Grouper
(
Epinephelus striatus
)
This species has ve irregular brown or red-brownside-bands on a light background. A wide brownstripe runs on each side o the head rom the uppersnout to the orward base o the dorsal n. A broad,black, saddle-shaped patch rests atop the base o thetail. Nassau groupers may grow to 3 eet and weigh55 pounds. Their zebra-like appearance has madethem a photographers’ avorite. Nassau grouper ormlarge spawning aggregations and so are highlyvulnerable to overharvest. All harvest o this speciesis prohibited in Florida waters.
Red Grouper
(
Epinephelus morio
)
Red grouper are brownish red with scattered paleblotches, black dots around the eyes, and dark-tippeddorsal, anal, and tail ns. The membrane between thedorsal spines is not notched, and the tail n is square.Red grouper are the most thoroughly studied o theFlorida groupers. Using their mouths and ns, theyremove sediment rom the underlying hard bottom,creating pits that become home to other sh andinvertebrates. Red grouper may grow to over 3 eetand average 10 pounds, though some reach 40 pounds.Red grouper can also produce sound.
Scamp
(
Mycteroperca phenax
)
The light gray or brown body o the scamp is coveredwith reddish-brown spots that tend to be grouped intolines. The corners o the mouth are yellow. The top andbottom edges o the tail o large adults are elongated.Scamp in the gul may grow to over 2 eet and weigh upto 14 pounds. Scamp also orm spawning aggregationsin oshore waters.
Snowy Grouper
(
Hyporthodus niveatus
)
Dark gray all over, the snowy grouper’s name derivesrom the obscure white spots arranged in a denitegeometric pattern over the body. It also has a distinctiveblack “saddle” over the base o the tail. It may reach3 eet and weigh 30 pounds. This species may be oundas deep as 1,000 eet.
Warsaw Grouper
(
Hyporthodus nigritus
)
A uniorm brown, the adult Warsaw grouper has nospots or stripes (though juveniles may have whitespots). It is distinguished by its impressive bulk, tendorsal spines (all other groupers have 11), and a dorsaln with a very long second spine. The Warsaw groupermay reach over 6 eet and weigh 580 pounds. It istypically ound below 150 eet.
Yellowfin Grouper
(
Mycteroperca venenosa
)
The yellown earned its name venenosa rom the toxicfesh o some large specimens that have eaten the toxicorganism that causes ciguatera poisoning in humans.Also called the rocksh, the yellown is variouslycolored, commonly olive green with rows o rounded,irregular, dark splotches on its back. Its belly is otensalmon pink, and its mouth is yellow inside and alongthe corners. The outer 1/3 o the pectoral n is a brilliantyellow. Yellown taken rom waters deeper than 100eet are oten bright red with darker red body blotches.They may grow to 3 eet and about 30 pounds.
2
Some groupers, such as snowy, misty,and speckled hind, can be found at depths over 1,000 feet.
E. morio
art by Diane Rome Peebles
dorsal spines
3
Range and Habitat
Groupers are ound in almost all temperate and tropicalseas, usually over hard bottom such as coral rees orshel ledge habitats. Some species preer shallow water,whereas others inhabit deep, dark regions ar oshore.Some may lead solitary lives, hiding in ree crevicesand caves. Young groupers are oten ound nearshore,and many species depend on healthy seagrass andmangrove habitats as nurseries.Red grouper is the most abundant grouper in theGul o Mexico. Those younger than six years resideover shallow nearshore rees, moving into deeperwaters arther oshore as they mature.
Life History
Groupers can change sex, a relatively commonoccurrence among marine creatures. Some marineanimals change rom male to emale, others (includingsome groupers) change rom emale to male, and someunction as both at once.Although many grouper species are probably ableto undergo a transormation rom emale to male, theincidence o individuals that do so is highly variable.Red groupers may change sex between 5 and 10 yearsold. Gag groupers may change at about 10 or 11 yearsold. Nassau groupers are able to change sex, althoughapparently ew do.Scientists aren’t sure what natural advantage thesex change aords grouper or what specic actorstrigger it. Some believe that in those species that livein groups, the death o the dominant male may promptthe largest emale to change sex and become thedominant male in the hierarchy. However, somescientists believe that in grouper species that leadessentially solitary lives, the sex change is triggeredwhen the sh gather to spawn.Grouper species generally have distinct spawningseasons. For example, red grouper o Florida’s westcoast spawn mainly in April and May. Gag grouperand scamp spawn oshore, principally rom Januarythrough March, and are ound to co-occur at depthsover 180 eet. Goliath grouper spawn rom July toOctober. However, in warmer waters o the southernAtlantic, Gul o Mexico, and Caribbean, some groupermay spawn throughout the year. “Ripe” emale blackgrouper in the Florida Keys, or instance, have beendocumented in all months.Several grouper species, including goliath, gag,black, and scamp, will orm groups (aggregations) tospawn. The size o these aggregations varies by species.Nassau grouper can orm large aggregations (hundredsto thousands) o many males and emales. Otherspecies, such as gag, have smaller aggregations (tensto hundreds).Several unique characteristics can be observedduring spawning. Nassau grouper swim upward in thewater column and release their eggs and sperm beoredescending back to the bottom. This behavior is knownas a “spawning rush.” Goliath groupers display uniquecolor patterns and have been seen “stacking” in thewater column. They are known to make boomingsounds during spawning.When groupers spawn, eggs and sperm are releasedinto the water at the same time, and their union is bychance. A emale red grouper may release 1.5 millionto 5 million eggs in a spawn and can spawn severaltimes during the spawning season. The largest emalescan probably produce the most eggs.Unortunately, it is dicult to distinguish onespecies o grouper larvae rom another, so muchinormation about their egg and larval development isa mystery. In general, the eggs hatch into larvae thatdrit with the currents or 30 to 40 days beore settlingas juveniles. Little is known about the range andbehavior o most juvenile grouper, but red, gag, andgoliath juveniles have been studied to some extent.Red grouper juveniles remain in the plankton orabout a month, until they are ¾ to 1 inch long. Thenthey take up lie on rocky bottoms and stay close tonearshore rees, where they eventually become amainstay o Florida’s recreational and commercialcatch. Juvenile gag enter bays and estuaries in thespring and hide among seagrass or gather near rockyoutcroppings until one to three years old, when theyleave these sanctuaries or deeper waters. Goliathgrouper preer mangrove habitat and live their rstew years in shallow estuaries. Most species ogroupers become sexually mature between our andsix years old.All groupers are meat-eaters. Many eat sh andcrustaceans, and larger goliath have been known toeat juvenile sea turtles. It is believed that many groupers
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Sea Stats - Groupers
Groupers, members of one of the largest families of fishes found in Florida waters, run the gamut of sizes and shapes, from the diminutive graysby weighing several pounds to the mammoth goliath grouper that can top…
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