Nassau Grouper

Description:

The Nassau Grouper is one of the larger fish in Atlantic and Caribbean Ocean coral reefs. They grow to over 3' in length, and per the photos are heavy-bodied. That pictured is about 2 1/2' in length. It had no problem with my approach in about 40' of water. This species is heavily fished, and per a number of references, is sometimes a substitute for other fish on seafood menus. If you are eating one of several varieties of Sea Bass...chances are you may be eating Grouper. Populations of Grouper are under severe strain in some regions, and could be close to collapsing if efforts are not made to save them.

Habitat:

Coral reefs in the Atlantic. from the Caribbean down to the Brazilian coast. This one was spotted in the Turks and Caicos islands.