Yellowmouth Grouper

Yellowmouth Grouper, Juvenile

The Yellowmouth Grouper has yellow on the corners of its mouth, though the color may be faint. Its body can range from pale to gray to dark brown and may show dark dots and blotches, with colors that can shift from light to very dark. Juveniles are bicolored, with a dark back and a white belly, and often display yellow on the spiny part of the dorsal fin.

This Grouper can be seen alone on the reef, under ledges, and hiding in crevices. It is a cautious predator and uses an ambush strategy to eat smaller fish and squid, while juveniles use aggressive mimicry by imitating a harmless Wrasse to hunt small fish. It forms large spawning aggregations to reproduce and is born female, with some later changing into males. This Grouper can live for more than 30 years, though some reports suggest it may reach over 40 years. On Bonaire, large Groupers like the Yellowmouth Grouper are threatened and declining due to overfishing and habitat loss.