Science Name: | Epinephelus striatus |
Other Names: | hamlet |
World Record: | 38 lbs. 8 oz, Bahamas |
Environment: | reef and offshore |
Techniques: | drifting, bottom-fishing and trolling |
Range: | Florida |
The Nassau grouper is usually 1 to 2 feet in length, reaching a maximum of 4 feet and about 55 pounds, although most catches are under 10 pounds. The all-tackle world record is a 38-pound, 8-ounce Bahamian fish.
In the western Atlantic, Nassau grouper are found in Bermuda, Florida, the Bahamas, the Yucatan Peninsula, and throughout the Caribbean to southern Brazil. They are absent from the Gulf of Mexico, except at Campeche Back off the coast of Yucatan, at Tortugas, and off Key West. Once abundant throughout their range, their numbers have been greatly reduced by spearfishing.
Found in depths of 20 to 100 feet, although almost always dwelling in less than 90 feet of water, Nassau grouper prefer caves and shallow to midrange coral reefs. Smaller fish are usually closer to shore and common in seagrass beds, whereas adults are usually farther offshore on rocky reefs. Nassau grouper tend to rest on the bottom, blending with their surroundings. They are usually solitary and diurnal but occasionally form schools, as they do when spawning.
Spawning around the new moon, Nassau grouper come together in large masses of up to 30,000, making them highly vulnerable to overharvesting.
Nassau grouper feed mainly on fish and crabs and to a lesser degree on other crustaceans and mollusks.