The member of the Epinephelinae family is named Groupers as they are base-looking fish. The Groupers have a rock appearance, which means the coloration looks like a rock. Groupers arise in different sizes as they have largemouth and heavy bodies. A detailed description of various types of groupers is shared below. Scroll down!
A Guide To The Different Types Of Grouper
There are approximately 161 species of Groupers, some of them along with their distinctive features have complied below:
1: Goliath Grouper
Goliath Grouper is the largest member of the family. They are native to the coastal waters of Florida, Brazil, and the Bahamas and live at the depth of around 150 meters. They are known to have a length of about 8 to 9 feet and are around 700 to 800 pounds. However, overfishing and pollution may lead to the disappearance of species from the ocean.
2: Black Grouper
These species are native to the Atlantic regions, the Bahamas, and Southern Florida, and commonly thrive along the edges of coral reefs, usually at the depth of 30 feet. They have dark greyish coloration with box-like patches all over the body. The fins are black but the tips are dark blue colored. These species are about 4 feet long and weigh 100 pounds.
3: Yellowfin Grouper
Yellowfin Grouper are native to the Bahamas region. However, in appearance, they look like Black Groupers which may confuse people but the yellow tip of the pectoral fins is the distinguishing feature of the Yellowfin Grouper. They are about 15 to 30 pounds weigh but the largest specimen can measure a weight of 40 pounds.
4: Gag Grouper
The Gag Grouper is a highly valuable species as it is considered the best-tasting fish of the grouper family. They are native to the Caribbean Sea and are sighted in the Gulf of Mexico as well. They have a molted greyish coloration and are about 10 to 15 pounds weigh but the largest specimen can measure 60 pounds.
Gag Grouper
5: Red Grouper
The Red Grouper are the bottom-dwelling species that are found in the Southern as well as the Western hemisphere. As the name indicates, they are reddish brown but the coloration changes quickly as they become aggressive or excited. They have large bulky eyes which help to easily identify them. They can reach up to 1 to 2 feet in length and 2 to 15 pounds in weight.
6: Yellowmouth Grouper
Yellowmouth grouper are common to the Bahamas and Florida waters as they prefer deep shallow waters of about 120 feet. They are brownish colored but have a yellow mouth which makes them distant from each other. Approximately, they are about 5 to 10 pounds but the largest specimen weighs about 30 pounds weigh.
7: Tiger Grouper
The Tiger Grouper lives in the coral reefs of the Bahamas. They have dusky grey coloration with dark patches on the upper side and have a worm-like patch on the belly and fins. They are about 10 pounds in weight but the largest specimen ever recorded are 14 pounds heavy.
8: Warsaw Grouper
The Warsaw Grouper is the king of the shallow waters as they are the only members which live in the extreme depth of 100 feet. They can reach a remarkable length of 7 feet and are 600 pounds in terms of weight. The meat of the fish tastes great which makes them famous among the fisheries.
9: Speckled Hind Grouper
This fish is found along the rocky bottoms at the depth of 200 to 400 feet. They have dark greyish or reddish-brown coloration with a creamy white spot on the sides of the body, over the fins and gills. They on average weigh around 20 to 40 pounds but the largest species measure about 52 pounds.
10: Marbled Grouper
These species are native to South Florida and Bahamas waters and live usually at the depth of 500 feet which is why they have been rarely sighted. They have dark brown coloration with white spots on the upper skin. They are bottom dwellers which can weigh about 5 to 10 pounds, the largest species measure 20 pounds weigh.
Final Words
Groupers are the fishes that are native to Florida and Bahamas waters commonly. They are considered the iconic fish in Florida because the meat of these species tastes great. There are approximately 161 species of Groupers living under the waters, all of them are somewhat relatable to each other but they may distinguish based on their coloration and weight. Some of the members are disused above for your ease.
