growing to lengths of 8.2 feet (2.5 m) and can weigh as much as 800 pounds (363 kg).
World Record:
308.44 kg (680 lb 0 oz)
Distribution and Habitat
Their range includes the Florida Keys, the Bahamas, most of the Caribbean, and practically all of the Brazilian coast, where they are known as mero. On some occasions, it is caught in New England off Maine and Massachusetts, but not commonly. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, it occurs from Congo to Senegal.
Sources
1.^ a b Chan Tak-Chuen & Padovani Ferrera (2006). Epinephelus itajara. 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2007. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Database entry includes a range map and a lengthy justification of why this species is critically endangered
2.^ Tompkins (2001-05-20), "Strange things happen in threes", Houston Chronicle: Sports 2; Page: 20, http://www.chron.com/CDA/archives/archive.mpl?id=2001_3306097
3.^ http://www.igfa.org/records/Fish-Records.aspx?Fish=Grouper,%20goliath&LC=ATR
4.^ http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/gallery/descript/goliathgrouper/goliathgrouper.html Florida Museum of Natural History
5.^ Bullock et al. (1992) Age, Growth and Reproduction in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico U.S. Fishery Bulletin 90(2):243-249 retrieved April 8, 2008 from http://myfwc.com/Marine/grouper/goliath_grouper/reports.htm[dead link]