the.com/grouper
a fish that can swallow a small shark whole and then act innocent
means A large, big-mouthed fish of warm and tropical seas, prized at the table and known for sitting motionless before sucking in prey with a sudden gulp.
from The name comes through Portuguese 'garoupa,' the word fishermen used for these bulky reef fish; that word is thought to derive from a South American Tupi term, picked up in colonial Brazil. The English 'grouper' is a folk reshaping of 'garoupa' — note it has nothing to do with the English word 'group,' despite the tempting spelling.
- size
- Goliath grouper hits 800 pounds and eight feet
- sex switch
- Many are born female, later become male
- hunting team
- Signals eels to flush out hidden prey
- vacuum mouth
- Engulfs victims by suddenly opening cavernous jaws
- lifespan
- Some species live over 50 years
goliath grouper — largest grouper species, can exceed 400 pounds and live in atlantic reefs
nassau grouper — critically endangered caribbean species, once abundant but depleted by overfishing
giant grouper — indo-pacific species reaching 880 pounds, largest bony fish in coral reefs