Nassau Grouper

(Epinephelus striatus)

 

Maturity at: 48 cm in length

Max Published Size: 122 cm and 55 pounds

TnT Record: 25 pounds (unofficial)

TnT Season: Year round

IUCN status: Endangered

 

 

General Information: Solitary near coral reefs. Although it can be found in 250 ft of water they preffer mainly shallow areas. Young ones preffer seagrass bottoms. Diet comprises mainly of fish, crabs, mollusks and small lobsters. Spawns in December and January near the new moon with up to 30,000 aggregating at certain spawning sites. These spawning aggregations make this fish an easy target where they can be heavily harvested. They are now heavily fished and vulnerable to overfishing. One of the most important commercial groupers in the West Indies. Marketed fresh, mostly between 5 to 20 pounds.  After being a very common fish in Trinidad and Tobago, it's now rarely seen.