Dusky Grouper

Photo: Billy Bensted-Smith · CC BY-NC

Dusky groupers are the charismatic apex predators of the Stromboli wall, reaching up to 1.5 metres and displaying the territorial boldness of a fish that has never been hunted in these protected depths. They occupy specific ledges and overcut sections of the volcanic wall, often allowing divers to approach within metres before slowly retreating. The Aeolian Islands' remoteness and depth have allowed this long-lived, slow-growing species to persist at densities that would be extraordinary in more accessible Mediterranean locations.