Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci)

Scientific name: Mycteroperca bonaci Poey, 1860

The Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae.

Biology

A solitary species inhabiting rocky and coral reefs. Adults feed primarily on fishes; juveniles mainly on crustaceans. Oviparous. A protogynous hermaphrodite. Forms spawning aggregations. Common but difficult to approach. Marketed fresh and its flesh is of excellent quality.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Mycteroperca bonaci
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 150
Common length: 70.0
Depth range: 6–33 m (20–108 ft)
Environment: Marine; reef-associated; depth range 6 - 33 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Western Atlantic: Bermuda and Massachusetts, USA to southern Brazil, including the southern Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. Adults are unknown from the northeastern coast of the USA.
Conservation status (IUCN): Near Threatened (NT), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group
Threat to humans: Reports of ciguatera poisoning
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; gamefish: yes; aquarium: public aquariums
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (K=0.16; tmax=14; Fec=500,000)