Species Type:
Fishes
Common Name(s):
Goliath grouper
Size:
These fish can grow to be over 8 feet (2.5 meters) long and weigh up to 800 pounds (363 kilograms).
Diet:
While mostly eating crustaceans like shrimp and crab, goliath groupers will also eat other fish, stingrays, octopus and even young sea turtles.
Range & Habitat:
The goliath grouper inhabits rock, mud and coral bottom areas in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, eastern Pacific and western Atlantic ocean.
Details:
Goliath groupers are large fish with rounded snouts, small eyes, and dark spots that help them blend into their surroundings. Highly territorial, they defend their space with aggressive body language and a rumbling sound from their swim bladder when threatened. During summer, they gather in large groups, called spawning aggregations, sometimes reaching hundreds.