


Once a popular target of fishermen, they are now protected from all harvest in Florida. They can reach whopping lengths of 8 feet or more, and the Florida record goes to a 680-pound goliath caught off Fernandina Beach in 1961. Its tail is rounded, and five irregular, dark side-bands are most visible on juveniles.

The giant of the grouper family, the goliath (formerly called jewfish) has brown or yellow mottling with small black spots on the head and fins and has a gargantuan mouth with jawbones that extend well past its small eyes. The gag is often mistaken for black grouper. Adults form spawning aggregations on offshore ledge habitats of the West Florida Shelf. Juveniles inhabit estuarine seagrass beds before moving into nearshore and offshore waters. It may reach over 4 feet and 70 pounds, but most are much smaller. Its pelvic, anal, and tail fins are dark the anal and tail fins sometimes have a white outer margin. The gag’s brownish-gray body is covered with thin, dark, wormlike markings often grouped in blotches that give the fish a marbled look. Black grouper may reach over 4 feet and 180 pounds and have been seen forming spawning aggregations near the Florida Keys. The black grouper has a vivid color pattern that includes brassy, bronze spots on the side of the head and body and, sometimes, dark, rectangular blotches running the length of the back. Four grouper species that are found in Florida are described below. Groupers, like chameleons, vary in color according to species, habitat, water depth, age, reproductive season, or stress. Three spines on each bony plate covering the gills require care when handling. The massive, underslung jaws of these carnivores harbor strong teeth, and many species have two canine teeth at the front of each jaw. Their small scales usually have a saw-toothed edge, and their fins are coarse and spiny. In general, groupers are oblong, large, and stout. Worldwide, there are over 400 species 61 of these are in North America, and more than 40 are found in Florida waters. Groupers, members of one of the largest families of fishes found in Florida waters, run the gamut of sizes and shapes,įrom the diminutive graysby weighing several pounds to the mammoth goliath grouper (jewfish) that can tip the scales at 600 pounds or more. Mo a call today and see what shallow water grouper fishing is all about in Biscayne Bay. Mo will make sure you have a good time while our shallow water groupers do their best to test your tackle.
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