SPOTTED GROUPER
Spotted Groupers are large, gloom-strucken fish that have the ability to change their appearance. They seem harmless but are dangerous, stealthy hunters that lurk within coral reefs to stalk their prey. To avoid detection by their predators, spotted groupers camouflage themselves and change their colors to match their surroundings.
Order : Perciformes
Family : Serranidae
Genus : Epinephelus and others
Average Length : Up to 13 feet
Average Weight : Up to 650 lbs
Diet : Principally smaller fish
Lifespan : Unknown
Food, Feeding and Hunting : Groupers are dangerous predators that lurk under the cover of coral formations to await for their unsuspecting prey to get to close to their face of death. A grouper is rather slow and cannot attack with the lightning speed sharks do, therefore, as a curios fish swims near the wide jaws of the grouper, it will open it's mouth and create a vaccum-inhaling the victim in a mass of water. The grouper then expels thewater through it's gills and swallows the prey alive. It's rows of sharp teeth are merely for holding on to the prey. The grouper's digestive juices then dissolve the victim.
Breeding : Little is known about the groper's beding habits. However, it is known that several species gather in large schools of up to one-hundred thousand fish. Groupers also change sex at seven to ten years of age, though the true purpose for techag is unknown.
Distribution : Groupers inhabit shallow waters and coral reefs world-wide. Most live in tropical waters but some species can be found in temperate seas.
Conservation : The large groupers are a popular food and sport fish. Some may be fished too heavily, but because they are very adaptable they lie in little danger.
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