Common name : Tiger grouper
Scientific name : Mycteroperca tigris
Family : Epinephelidae
Native to : Western Atlantic Ocean
Interesting fact : Groupers are protogynous hermaphrodites, with a large male controlling harem of 15 females.
Conservation status : Least Concern
Groupers have stout bodies and large mouths with crushing tooth plates inside the pharynx. They can grow up to 1 metre long and weigh up to 100 kg. Its powerful gill muscles, together with the mouth, forms powerful sucking system pulling its prey in from a distance. It feeds on fish, octopuses and crustaceans. Its lifespan is 40 years.
