Groupers & Sea Basses
Black Grouper
Mycteroperca bonaci
Species Overview
Oblong, olive-to-grey grouper with dark rectangular blotches and small bronze hexagonal spots on the head and lower sides; outer third of the soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins black or bluish; pectorals sometimes orange-edged; squared-off tail; rounded preopercle with no notch.
- Size
- Commonly about 70 cm TL (28 in); maximum 150 cm TL (59 in) and 100 kg (220 lb) (FishBase); ReefGuide gives 30-90 cm (1-3 ft).
- Habitat
- Rocky bottoms and coral reefs; juveniles in seagrass beds.
- Diet
- Adults eat mainly reef fishes such as grunts, snappers and herrings, plus crustaceans; juveniles eat crustaceans.
- Range
- Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Bermuda and Gulf of Mexico; Western Atlantic from Massachusetts (juveniles) and Bermuda to southern Brazil.
Life stages
Juveniles live in seagrass beds and eat only crustaceans; adults shift to a mainly fish diet.
Ecological role
Large reef predator of fishes and crustaceans; preyed on by sandbar and great hammerhead sharks, barracudas and moray eels.
Explore reef conservation
Learn about Caribbean reef habitats, invasive lionfish and the work of the Caribbean Reef Fish Foundation.
TL means total length; SL excludes the tail fin; FL measures to the tail fork. These measurements are not interchangeable.