The
gag grouper is a drab, mottled gray fish lacking the distinguishing features of other
grouperGroupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes.Not all serranids are called groupers; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name grouper is usually given to fish in one of two large genera: Epinephelus...
s. It has a pattern of markings which resemble the box-shaped spots of the
black grouperThe black grouper is one of the best known of the large group of Perciform fish called groupers.-Description:The black grouper is a large marine fish, growing up to 150 centimetres in length and 100 kilograms in weight. It has an olive or gray body, with black blotches and brassy spots...
. It lacks the streamer-points on the tail fin that scamp (
Mycteroperca phenax) and yellowmouth grouper (
M. interstitialis) have and lacks yellow coloration around the mouth.
Ten- to twenty-pound (5 to 10 kg) fish are common. The world record is 80 lb 6 oz (36.45 kg). The gag grouper is a bottomfeeder and is often caught by fishermen seeking bottom-dwelling species such as
snapperSnappers are a family of perciform fish, mainly marine but with some members inhabiting estuaries, feeding in freshwater. Some are important food fish. One of the best known is the red snapper....
s. It has flaky white meat that is considered quite delicious.
Members of this species are known to be
protogynous hermaphroditeA protogynous hermaphrodite is an animal that begins its life cycle as a female. As the animal ages, based on internal or external triggers, it shifts sex to become a male animal. Many fish, such as the gag grouper, undergo just such a metamorphosis. Male fecundity goes up greatly with age more...
s, schooling in harems with the most aggressive and largest females shifting sex to male, probably as a result of behavioral triggers, when there is no male available. Commercial and sport fishing have created tremendous selective pressures against the largest animals, typically male, restricting the reproductive capacity of the entire breeding population. Recently, a small closure in the
Gulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
was established to provide this and other species a refuge from commercial
fishing pressureOverfishing occurs when fishing activities reduce fish stocks below an acceptable level. This can occur in any body of water from a pond to the oceans....
, however, this data is highly in dispute and is currently being challenged for inaccuracies.
They are found in areas of hard or consolidated substrate, and use structural features such as ledges, rocks, and coral reefs ( as well as artificial reefs like wrecks and sunken barges) as their habitat.