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Goliath Grouper
The scientific name of the species, “Epinephelus itajara,” translated from a native Brazilian Indian language means “Lord of the Rocks.” Photo by Karen Fischbein-Christopher.
Grouper – from the Portuguese garupa, meaning rump or backside. I'm not sure the goliath grouper (big rump) would be impressed with this more recent name, so dubbed in 2001 by the American Fisheries Society. Previously, the common name for the Atlantic goliath grouper was jewfish. No one today knows for sure how the goliath grouper came by its former name, though several theories exist. One theory stems from the flesh of the goliath, how very clean it is, like kosher food. Some believe, due to the goliath's immense size, that it was the great fish that swallowed Jonah, the Jewish prophet of the Old Testament. Yet another theory is that it was called "jawfish" for its huge mouth, and that later became "jewfish" through Southern accents and colloquialisms. A less pleasant theory is that in the 1800s, jewfish were considered trash fish, leading some people to declare it fit only for Jews. However, this notion is normally discredited as reports from 17th century onwards praise the goliath as excellent eating. Webster's New World College Dictionary says the phrase may have been borrowed from the Italian giupesce, which means "bottom fish." But, the most plausible explanation, in my opinion, is from the Oxford English Dictionary, which quotes from a book published in 1697, entitled A New Voyage Round the World, by famed explorer, William Dampier, an interesting character, known for his clear writing and keen observation:
"The Jew-fish is a very good Fish, and I judge so called by the English, because it hath Scales and Fins, therefore a clean Fish, according to the Levitical Law, and the Jews at Jamaica buy them and eat them very freely."
So it wasn't necessarily named by Jews, but they obviously liked the fish. In any account, it's clear the jewfish was not so-named because it's thrifty and has lots of money. The goliath was originally described by German ichthyologist, M.H.C. Lichtenstein, as Serranus itajara in an 1822 publication regarding the natural history of Brazil. However, in an 1884 work, "The fishes of the Florida Keys," David Starr Jordan proposed the inclusion of the goliath in Epinephelus; this classification remains in use today. The Atlantic goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara, belongs to the sub-class of bony fishes called Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes; the order Perciformes, perch-like fishes; the family Serranidae, sea basses (groupers and fairy basslets); and the genus Epinephelus, from the Greek, epinephelos, meaning cloudy.
Of course, the goliath grouper is not the only grouper found off the Texas Gulf Coast, but it is the only one that will be covered in this article. For a more comprehensive grouper review, check out Joe Richard's article "Grouper ID Time" from last summer. Goliath grouper are a typically solitary species, occurring in offshore waters and some shallow, inshore waters up to about 170 feet. Adults appear to occupy limited home ranges and prefer areas of rock, coral, or mud bottoms. This species is notable as one of the few larger groupers found in brackish waters, often setting up house in seagrass and estuarine habitats. Its range extends in the Western Atlantic from Florida to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea; in the Eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Congo, though goliaths are rare in the Canary Islands; and in the Eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Peru. It is also occasionally caught in New England off Maine and Massachusetts, though it generally prefers warmer waters. Young goliaths, which are strikingly patterned, inhabit shallow bays, especially near oyster beds, undercut ledges, and mangrove swamps. Juveniles tend to stick with one estuarine area for the first five or six years, then emigrate to offshore reefs when they reach about three feet in length.
Goliath grouper are the largest members of the sea bass family in the Atlantic Ocean. Growing to lengths of ten feet, this grouper can weigh as much as 800 pounds. The world record for hook and line is 681 pounds, caught off Fernandina Beach, Florida, in 1961. The body is robust, its widest point more than half its total length. The head is broad with small eyes. Goliaths have three to five rows of teeth in the lower jaw, with a number of short, weakly developed canines. Their dentition is geared more for swallowing prey whole than biting pieces off. They are generally brownish yellow, gray, or olive with small dark spots on the head, body, and fins. Large adults are somber-colored. Smaller individuals of less than three feet long are more decorative, with three or four faint vertical bars on their sides. Although not as colorful as some grouper juveniles, goliath juvies are attractively patterned, exhibiting dark, irregular, vertical bands and blotches over a tawny coloration. The oldest confirmed goliath grouper on record reached 37 years. However, this fish was from a population strained by fishing pressure, and it is projected that goliath grouper may live much longer, perhaps up to 50 years.
Predators of goliath grouper include large fish, such as sandbar and great hammerhead sharks, barracuda, king mackerel, moray eels, and other grouper. Large adults have very few natural predators, and they, in turn, will prey on the same large fish that once hunted them, including sharks and barracuda. However, these sedentary lords of the deep feed primarily on crustaceans, stingrays, and a variety of slow-moving, poisonous, or envenomed fish (cowfish, burrfish and pufferfish, catfish, toadfish, and filefish). They also take octopuses and young sea turtles. The goliath is a rather sluggish fish, rarely inclined to actively hunt and capture faster moving animals. Prey is ambushed; most catches are simply engulfed and swallowed whole. Lobsters are vacuumed from rock crevices by the strong suction of the goliath's large mouth. They are an opportunistic feeder, sometimes indulging in a hooked gag or snapper, happily oblivious to the woebegone cries of foiled anglers. Goliaths are the dominant, apex predatory fish on many reefs, helping maintain balance and increasing biodiversity in their ecosystems.
Though these giants are often lumbering and peaceful, they can be territorial near their particular areas of refuge, such as caves, wrecks, or ledges. If approached, an individual may show a threat display: open mouth and quivering body. Additional warning may come in the form of audible rumbling generated by the muscular contraction of the swim bladder. Some very large goliaths also show an extraordinary degree of curiosity and will leave their caves to swim up to a diver, especially if that diver has fish, say, on a spear. But remember kids, large individuals of this species should be treated with caution as some have been observed stalking divers and even conducting unsuccessful ambushes of the seemingly unwary.
Typically solitary, goliath groupers do make an exception to their introversion once a year. Spawning goliaths, in the past, formed impressive offshore aggregations of up to 100 individuals, sometimes more. This social event lasts only a few weeks each year, between early July and late September, and represents most of the total annual reproductive effort. The species is one of the few groupers that aggregate in relatively shallow water (32-164 feet). Ship wrecks, rock ledges, and isolated patch reefs are preferred spawning habitat. Females release eggs while males release sperm into the open offshore waters. The fertilized eggs are scattered in the water column, dispersed by the currents. Upon hatching, the larvae are kite-shaped, with long dorsal fin spines and pelvic fin spines. A month or so after hatching, the pelagic larvae mature into juveniles, only 2.5 centimeters long, and settle into estuarine habitat.
Goliath groupers are believed to be protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning as they grow, individuals first mature as females and later become males. What's the advantage of this life cycle? The energy-consuming task of cultivating eggs is left to the younger fish that are healthy and strong, while the larger, older fish that have proven their ability to survive can fertilize the eggs. Most grouper follow this pattern, but it has not yet been verified for the goliath. Although goliaths are assumed to employ this reproductive mode, a 1992 study of the age, growth, and reproduction of the species found no transitional individuals, which is normally the evidence of sex reversal. However, the significance of this finding is less meaningful than it seems since transitional individuals are rare even amongst confirmed species of protogynous hermaphrodites.
Growth rates for this species are slow, averaging only about four inches per year for the first six years, declining every year after that to about three centimeters per year at age fifteen, and less than one centimeter per year after age twenty-five. Large size, slow growth, low reproductive rate, and spawning behavior brought the goliath grouper to the edge of extinction not long ago. Considered a fine food, Atlantic goliath grouper were highly sought after by fishermen, and due to its inquisitive and generally fearless nature, the goliath is relatively easy prey for spear fishermen. On some of the more heavily visited wrecks, just the sound of a spear gun being cocked will attract the opportunistic giants. Plus, their habit of spawning in large aggregations, returning like clockwork to the same locations, make them particularly vulnerable to mass harvesting. In the 1980s, spawning aggregations reached a low of less than ten individuals per site. Until a harvest ban was placed on the species, its population was in rapid decline. The fish is now entirely protected from harvest and is recognized as a critically endangered species by the IUCN, which concluded that the species numbers had been reduced at least 80% over the last ten years. The US began protection in 1990, the Caribbean in 1993, and Brazil in 2002. Despite promising signs of recovery in the US, especially from increased sightings of smaller fish and increased spawning aggregations (20 to 40 individuals per site), the population is not such that it could sustain a fishery; numbers could diminish very quickly, back to near extinction, if the ban was released. Additionally, it's likely that low-level harvest of this species continues by illegal poaching and mortality upon release following accidental capture. Dedicated surveys and stock assessments are conducted regularly, and the species is periodically reassessed for reintroduction into recreational fisheries. (Right now, it's all catch and carefully release.)
Despite poor fighting ability, its great size and weight, plus its habit of swimming into a hole or between rocks when hooked, make the goliath a challenge to land. The most enticing baits seem to be small jacks, large mullets, and stingrays. The linchpin to success is often the skill of the captain in navigating the boat. Keep in mind that you can't haul a goliath on board once it surfaces. It must be released unharmed. Some anglers jump in the water and have their photographs taken alongside the fish to document and validate their catch. Because who doesn't want to jump into the water with a 500-pound lobster connoisseur?
Where I learned about goliath groupers, and you can too!
"The Jew-fish is a very good Fish, and I judge so called by the English, because it hath Scales and Fins, therefore a clean Fish, according to the Levitical Law, and the Jews at Jamaica buy them and eat them very freely."
So it wasn't necessarily named by Jews, but they obviously liked the fish. In any account, it's clear the jewfish was not so-named because it's thrifty and has lots of money. The goliath was originally described by German ichthyologist, M.H.C. Lichtenstein, as Serranus itajara in an 1822 publication regarding the natural history of Brazil. However, in an 1884 work, "The fishes of the Florida Keys," David Starr Jordan proposed the inclusion of the goliath in Epinephelus; this classification remains in use today. The Atlantic goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara, belongs to the sub-class of bony fishes called Actinopterygii, ray-finned fishes; the order Perciformes, perch-like fishes; the family Serranidae, sea basses (groupers and fairy basslets); and the genus Epinephelus, from the Greek, epinephelos, meaning cloudy.
Of course, the goliath grouper is not the only grouper found off the Texas Gulf Coast, but it is the only one that will be covered in this article. For a more comprehensive grouper review, check out Joe Richard's article "Grouper ID Time" from last summer. Goliath grouper are a typically solitary species, occurring in offshore waters and some shallow, inshore waters up to about 170 feet. Adults appear to occupy limited home ranges and prefer areas of rock, coral, or mud bottoms. This species is notable as one of the few larger groupers found in brackish waters, often setting up house in seagrass and estuarine habitats. Its range extends in the Western Atlantic from Florida to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea; in the Eastern Atlantic from Senegal to Congo, though goliaths are rare in the Canary Islands; and in the Eastern Pacific from the Gulf of California to Peru. It is also occasionally caught in New England off Maine and Massachusetts, though it generally prefers warmer waters. Young goliaths, which are strikingly patterned, inhabit shallow bays, especially near oyster beds, undercut ledges, and mangrove swamps. Juveniles tend to stick with one estuarine area for the first five or six years, then emigrate to offshore reefs when they reach about three feet in length.
Goliath grouper are the largest members of the sea bass family in the Atlantic Ocean. Growing to lengths of ten feet, this grouper can weigh as much as 800 pounds. The world record for hook and line is 681 pounds, caught off Fernandina Beach, Florida, in 1961. The body is robust, its widest point more than half its total length. The head is broad with small eyes. Goliaths have three to five rows of teeth in the lower jaw, with a number of short, weakly developed canines. Their dentition is geared more for swallowing prey whole than biting pieces off. They are generally brownish yellow, gray, or olive with small dark spots on the head, body, and fins. Large adults are somber-colored. Smaller individuals of less than three feet long are more decorative, with three or four faint vertical bars on their sides. Although not as colorful as some grouper juveniles, goliath juvies are attractively patterned, exhibiting dark, irregular, vertical bands and blotches over a tawny coloration. The oldest confirmed goliath grouper on record reached 37 years. However, this fish was from a population strained by fishing pressure, and it is projected that goliath grouper may live much longer, perhaps up to 50 years.
Predators of goliath grouper include large fish, such as sandbar and great hammerhead sharks, barracuda, king mackerel, moray eels, and other grouper. Large adults have very few natural predators, and they, in turn, will prey on the same large fish that once hunted them, including sharks and barracuda. However, these sedentary lords of the deep feed primarily on crustaceans, stingrays, and a variety of slow-moving, poisonous, or envenomed fish (cowfish, burrfish and pufferfish, catfish, toadfish, and filefish). They also take octopuses and young sea turtles. The goliath is a rather sluggish fish, rarely inclined to actively hunt and capture faster moving animals. Prey is ambushed; most catches are simply engulfed and swallowed whole. Lobsters are vacuumed from rock crevices by the strong suction of the goliath's large mouth. They are an opportunistic feeder, sometimes indulging in a hooked gag or snapper, happily oblivious to the woebegone cries of foiled anglers. Goliaths are the dominant, apex predatory fish on many reefs, helping maintain balance and increasing biodiversity in their ecosystems.
Though these giants are often lumbering and peaceful, they can be territorial near their particular areas of refuge, such as caves, wrecks, or ledges. If approached, an individual may show a threat display: open mouth and quivering body. Additional warning may come in the form of audible rumbling generated by the muscular contraction of the swim bladder. Some very large goliaths also show an extraordinary degree of curiosity and will leave their caves to swim up to a diver, especially if that diver has fish, say, on a spear. But remember kids, large individuals of this species should be treated with caution as some have been observed stalking divers and even conducting unsuccessful ambushes of the seemingly unwary.
Typically solitary, goliath groupers do make an exception to their introversion once a year. Spawning goliaths, in the past, formed impressive offshore aggregations of up to 100 individuals, sometimes more. This social event lasts only a few weeks each year, between early July and late September, and represents most of the total annual reproductive effort. The species is one of the few groupers that aggregate in relatively shallow water (32-164 feet). Ship wrecks, rock ledges, and isolated patch reefs are preferred spawning habitat. Females release eggs while males release sperm into the open offshore waters. The fertilized eggs are scattered in the water column, dispersed by the currents. Upon hatching, the larvae are kite-shaped, with long dorsal fin spines and pelvic fin spines. A month or so after hatching, the pelagic larvae mature into juveniles, only 2.5 centimeters long, and settle into estuarine habitat.
Goliath groupers are believed to be protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning as they grow, individuals first mature as females and later become males. What's the advantage of this life cycle? The energy-consuming task of cultivating eggs is left to the younger fish that are healthy and strong, while the larger, older fish that have proven their ability to survive can fertilize the eggs. Most grouper follow this pattern, but it has not yet been verified for the goliath. Although goliaths are assumed to employ this reproductive mode, a 1992 study of the age, growth, and reproduction of the species found no transitional individuals, which is normally the evidence of sex reversal. However, the significance of this finding is less meaningful than it seems since transitional individuals are rare even amongst confirmed species of protogynous hermaphrodites.
Growth rates for this species are slow, averaging only about four inches per year for the first six years, declining every year after that to about three centimeters per year at age fifteen, and less than one centimeter per year after age twenty-five. Large size, slow growth, low reproductive rate, and spawning behavior brought the goliath grouper to the edge of extinction not long ago. Considered a fine food, Atlantic goliath grouper were highly sought after by fishermen, and due to its inquisitive and generally fearless nature, the goliath is relatively easy prey for spear fishermen. On some of the more heavily visited wrecks, just the sound of a spear gun being cocked will attract the opportunistic giants. Plus, their habit of spawning in large aggregations, returning like clockwork to the same locations, make them particularly vulnerable to mass harvesting. In the 1980s, spawning aggregations reached a low of less than ten individuals per site. Until a harvest ban was placed on the species, its population was in rapid decline. The fish is now entirely protected from harvest and is recognized as a critically endangered species by the IUCN, which concluded that the species numbers had been reduced at least 80% over the last ten years. The US began protection in 1990, the Caribbean in 1993, and Brazil in 2002. Despite promising signs of recovery in the US, especially from increased sightings of smaller fish and increased spawning aggregations (20 to 40 individuals per site), the population is not such that it could sustain a fishery; numbers could diminish very quickly, back to near extinction, if the ban was released. Additionally, it's likely that low-level harvest of this species continues by illegal poaching and mortality upon release following accidental capture. Dedicated surveys and stock assessments are conducted regularly, and the species is periodically reassessed for reintroduction into recreational fisheries. (Right now, it's all catch and carefully release.)
Despite poor fighting ability, its great size and weight, plus its habit of swimming into a hole or between rocks when hooked, make the goliath a challenge to land. The most enticing baits seem to be small jacks, large mullets, and stingrays. The linchpin to success is often the skill of the captain in navigating the boat. Keep in mind that you can't haul a goliath on board once it surfaces. It must be released unharmed. Some anglers jump in the water and have their photographs taken alongside the fish to document and validate their catch. Because who doesn't want to jump into the water with a 500-pound lobster connoisseur?
Where I learned about goliath groupers, and you can too!
Online Etymology Dictionary
www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=grouper
Fish Base
www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=16&AT=goliath+grouper
Encyclopedia of Life
eol.org/pages/212570/overview
Florida Museum of Natural History
www.flmnh.ufl.edu/natsci/ichthyology/gallery/Descript/GoliathGrouper/GoliathGrouper.html
ARKive
www.arkive.org/atlantic-goliath-grouper/epinephelus-itajara/
Ocean Research & Conservation Association
www.teamorca.org/cfiles/goliath_myths.cfm
IUCN Red List
www.iucnredlist.org/details/195409/0
International Game Fish Association
www.igfa.org/species/138-grouper-goliath.aspx?CommonName=138-grouper-goliath.aspx
Florida Fishing Charters & Guides
www.lagooner.com/fish-species/index.php?species_id=20
New England Aquarium
galleries.neaq.org/2012/10/goliath-grouper-fun-facts.html
Florida Fishing Reports
www.fatcatfishingcharters.net/florida-saltwater-fishing-blog/goliath-grouper-facts
10 News
www.wtsp.com/story/news/2014/06/04/goliath-grouper-are-making-a-comeback/9947807/#