Description

Description.

40″ Black Grouper

The black grouper half mount (Mycteroperca bonaci) is one of the best known of the large group of Perciform fish called groupers.   The world record black grouper was caught in Texas and one in Florida at 114 lbs.  They can be found on or near  reefs and usually taken by means of  drift, bottom fishing, trolling.
The black grouper’s is completely covered with black, rectangular markings, with various backgrounds that range from brown, reddish-brown, dark green, or black. The black spots can vary in intensity, becoming gray or seeming to disappear. The tail of these grouper is squared off.

Black grouper typically grow between 1 1/2 to 3 feet in length. it is found in the Western Atlantic Ocean, from Massachusetts, USA, in the north to southern Brazil, but is particularly associated with the southern Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. The black grouper is quite tasty and an important food fish, is fished for sale but also for sea-angling. While not currently considered endangered, it is vulnerable to increases in exploitation because it is a relatively slow breeder.

These fish are solitary creatures which means they do not travel in schools or shoals like other species of fish do. Their temperament is described as calm and relaxed which makes them easy to keep in captivity if kept properly fed with fresh water changes every few days.