WARSAW GROUPER – Epinephelus nigritus
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: uniformly dark brown, with no distinctive markings; dorsal fin with 10 spines; second spine very long (much longer than third); caudal fin squared-off; rear nostril larger than front nostril. Young: caudal fin yellow; dark saddle on caudal peduncle; some whitish spots on body. Size: to 1.8 m (6 […]
YELLOWMOUTH GROUPER – Mycteroperca interstitialis
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: color tan or brown with darker spots; spots, or a network of spots, fused into lines; distinct yellow wash behind the jaws; yellow around the eyes; outer edges of fins yellowish. Similar fish: scamp, M. phenax. Where found: OFFSHORE over reefs and rocks; not as common as scamp […]
YELLOWFIN GROUPER – Mycteroperca venenosa
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: color highly greenish olive or bright red with longitudinal rows or darker black blotches over entire fish; outer one-third of pectoral fins bright yellow; lower parts of larger fish with small bright red spots. Similar fish: black grouper, M. bonaci; other grouper. Where found: OFFSHORE Size: common to […]
SCAMP – Mycteroperca phenax
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: color light gray or brown; large adults with elongated caudal-fin rays; reddish-brown spots on sides that tend to be grouped into lines; some yellow around corners of mouth. Similar fish: yellowmouth grouper, M. interstitalis. Where found: NEARSHORE reefs off the northeastern coast, and on OFFSHORE reefs in the […]
RED GROUPER – Epinephelus morio
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: color brownish red; lining of mouth scarletorange; blotches on sides in unorganized pattern; second spine of dorsal fin longer than others; pectoral fins longer than pelvic fins; squaredoff tail; margin of soft dorsal black with white at midfin; black dots around the eyes. Similar fish: nassau grouper, E. […]
NASSAU GROUPER – Epinephelus striatus
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: color light background with brown or red-brown bars on sides; stripe in shape of tuning fork on forehead; third spine of dorsal longer than second; pelvic fins shorter than pectorals; lack dots around the eyes; large black saddle on caudal peduncle. Similar fish: red grouper, E. morio. Where […]
BLACK GROUPER – Mycteroperca bonaci
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: olive or gray body coloration with black blotches and brassy spots; gently rounded preopercle; (see gag, next page) Similar fish: gag, M. microlepis; yellowfin grouper, M. venenosa. Where found: OFFSHORE species; adults associated with rocky bottoms, reefs, and dropoff walls in water over 60 feet deep; young may […]
GAG – Mycteroperca microlepis
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: brownish gray in color with dark worm-like markings on sides; strong serrated spur at bottom margin of preopercle, less noticeable in large specimens; fins dark, with anal and caudal having white margin; often confused with black grouper; most noticeable differences are brassy spots on black grouper; tail of […]
JEWFISH – Epinephelus itajara
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: head and fins covered with small black spots; irregular dark vertical bars present on the sides of body; pectoral and caudal fin rounded; first dorsal fin shorter than and not separated from second dorsal; adults huge, up to 800 pounds; eyes small. Similar fish: other grouper. Where found: […]
ROCK SEA BASS – Centropristis philadelphica
Family Serranidae, SEA BASSES AND GROUPER Description: color olive-bronze, with dark blotches forming vertical bars; dark black blotch on middle of dorsalfin base; tip of lower jaw purplish; bright blue and orange stripes and markings on head and fins; fully scaled nape; tail tri-lobed in adults. Similar fish: bank sea bass, C. ocyurus; other Centropristis. […]