Black grouper
Mycteroperca bonaci
Sighting evidence at Conception Island Wall, Long Island
Photo: Bernat Garrigós · CC BY-NC
Black grouper are large, solitary ambush predators of the Caribbean reef that reach over 100 centimetres at Conception Island due to the absence of fishing. They are protogynous hermaphrodites — all individuals begin life as females and the largest, oldest animals transition to males. Their role as apex reef predators is essential: they regulate damselfish populations that would otherwise overgrow and degrade coral surfaces.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Black grouper is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.