Gag Grouper (Mycteroperca microlepis)

Gag Grouper
Scientific name: Mycteroperca microlepis

Appearance:
The gag grouper is brownish gray with dark, worm-like markings on the sides. Its fins are dark, its anal and caudal fins having a white margin. It doesn’t have brassy marks found on black grouper. It exhibits a slightly concaved tail and a spur on the preopercle.

Habitat:
Adults reside on reefs and drop-off walls in deeps waters (as deep as 60 feet). The young are found inshore in grassbeds and mangrove forests.

Florida locations:
Gag groupers can be found in Southwest Florida. They can also be found all around Florida in as deep as 30 feet or more.