Groupers & Sea Basses
Graysby
Cephalopholis cruentata
Species Overview
Small grouper with a fusiform body; pale gray to brown with many reddish-brown spots and four contrasting dark or white spots along the base of the dorsal fin; three flat opercular spines (middle largest); pelvic fins shorter than the pectorals; dorsal fin 9 spines and 13-15 soft rays, anal 3 spines and 8 soft rays.
- Size
- Typically 15-25 cm (6-10 in) per ReefGuide; common length 20 cm TL; maximum recorded 42.6 cm TL (17 in) and 1.1 kg; lives to 13 years.
- Habitat
- Coral reefs and Thalassia seagrass beds; in the Gulf of Mexico on rocky reef ledges deeper than 27 m; non-migratory.
- Diet
- Adults mainly eat fishes, especially Brown Chromis (Chromis multilineata); juveniles eat shrimps.
- Range
- Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, Bermuda and Gulf of America; western central Atlantic from North Carolina to southern Florida and through the Antilles.
Life stages
Juveniles feed mainly on shrimp before shifting to fish (FishBase); no separate life-stage photos on ReefGuide.
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.