Dusky grouper

How it lives

It lives on rocky reefs from the surface down to about 300 m, though usually shallower than 50 m. Juveniles stay in shallow rocky areas and tidal pools. It is a sex-changing fish: young fish are female and some turn male later, at roughly 9 to 17 years depending on the source. Females mature at about 5 years. Fish gather to spawn in summer, from June to September in the Mediterranean. Reported lifespan is 50 to 60 years.

Where it goes

Adults tend to stay on the rocky ground they know, and groups gather at known spots to spawn in summer. I did not find tracking data on how far individual fish travel.

We only draw a journey on the map when scientists have tracked it or clearly documented it. For this animal we have not found one yet.

Populations

Found in the eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean, the south-western Indian Ocean and the south-western Atlantic from Brazil to Argentina. The IUCN lists it as Vulnerable (2018), citing a suspected population drop of over 50 percent across three generations. Catches in seven countries fell by 88 percent between 1990 and 2001. Spawning sites include Spain's Medes Islands marine reserve, near Lampedusa in Italy and Port-Cros National Park in France. Large males are especially targeted by fishing.