Misty grouper (Hyporthodus mystacinus)

Scientific name: Hyporthodus mystacinus Poey, 1852

The Misty grouper (Hyporthodus mystacinus) is a marine fish of the family Serranidae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-15; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. With 8 or 9 regular vertical darker brown bars on side. The only grouper in the Caribbean with a pattern of regular dark bars.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Hyporthodus mystacinus
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 160
Depth range: 30–400 m (98–1312 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathydemersal; depth range 30 - 400 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Western Atlantic: Bermuda, North Carolina (USA), Florida (USA), Gulf of Mexico, Bahamas, Cuba, Yucatan (Mexico), Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Leeward islands to Trinidad. Eastern Pacific: Galapagos Islands.
Conservation status (IUCN): Least Concern (LC), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026