Nassau Grouper

Epinephelus striatus

Description:

This grouper has a light, buff background color in shallow water individuals, pinkish to red in those from deeper water. There are five irregular dark brown vertical bars on each side and a large black saddle on the top of the caudal peduncle. The third and fourth vertical bars form a W-shape above the lateral line. A tuning fork-shaped mark is located on the forehead. Another dark band travels from the snout through the eye, curving up to meet the same band from the other side, just before the dorsal fin origin. Black dots are located around the eyes. This is some variation among individuals, as some fish may have irregular pale spots on the head and body. The Nassau grouper can change color pattern from light to dark brown very quickly, depending upon the surrounding environment and mood of the fish. Another color pattern is observed in the Nassau grouper when two adults or an adult and large juvenile meet. The smaller individual displays a bicolored pattern, with a dark head and white fins, caudal peduncle, and ventral body. There is a white band that reaches from the snout, past the eye towards the dorsal fin. After swimming away, the bicolored fish resumes its normal barred pattern within minutes. This same bicolored pattern is observed in aggregations of spawning fishes, perhaps indicating a peaceful, non-territorial state.