Red grouper, Epinephelus morio, are distributed from North Carolina to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. The species is most abundant along Florida’s east and west coasts, and throughout the Gulf of Mexico. It inhabits ledges, crevices, and caverns of rocky limestone reefs, and also low profile, live-bottom areas in waters 10 to 40 feet deep. The maximum age of the red grouper is 25 years, with older fish reaching a size of about 30 inches and 25 pounds. Red groupers usually ambush their prey and swallow it hole, preferring crabs, shrimp, lobster, actopus, squid and fish that live close to reefs.
Red grouper are brownish red in color with blotches on the sides in an unorganized pattern. The lining of mouth is scarlet-orange; the second spine of dorsal fin is longer than others. The pectoral fins are longer than pelvic fins. They have a squared off tail and small black dots around the eyes.
See Grouper for how-to-catch information.
