Yellowfin grouper facts for kids
The yellowfin grouper (Mycteroperca venenosa) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It's a kind of grouper, which belongs to a larger fish family called Serranidae. This family also includes fish like anthias and sea basses. You can find these groupers in the warm parts of the western Atlantic Ocean.
Quick facts for kids Yellowfin grouper |
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What Does the Yellowfin Grouper Look Like?
The yellowfin grouper has a long, strong body. It is also a bit flat from side to side. Its body is about 2.6 to 2.9 times deeper than its length.
This fish has a rounded cheekbone area called the preopercle. It usually has a small cut in this area.
Fins and Colors
The yellowfin grouper has two main fins on its back. The first one has 11 stiff spines. The second one has 15 to 16 soft rays. The fin on its belly has 3 spines and 10 to 12 soft rays. The tail fin is straight when the fish is young. As it gets older, the tail fin becomes slightly curved inward.
Its head and body have dark, oval-shaped spots. The outer part of its side fins (pectoral fins) is bright yellow. This is how it gets its name!
Yellowfin groupers can have two different colors. Fish living in deep water are often reddish. Those in shallow water are usually greenish.
Size of the Yellowfin Grouper
These fish can grow up to 100 centimetres (39 in) long. That's about 3 feet! However, they are usually around 45 centimetres (18 in) long. The heaviest yellowfin grouper ever recorded weighed about 18.5 kilograms (41 lb).
Where Do Yellowfin Groupers Live?
The yellowfin grouper lives in the western part of the Atlantic Ocean. You can find them along the Atlantic coast of the United States. They live from North Carolina all the way south to Florida.
They also live in the Gulf of Mexico. This includes places like the Florida Keys and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in Texas. Their range goes south through the Bahamas and into the West Indies. They are also found near the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico and around Bermuda.
Along the Caribbean coast of South America, they live as far east as French Guiana. They are also found along the Brazilian coast. This includes islands like Trindade and Fernando de Noronha.
Habitat and Life Cycle
Adult yellowfin groupers live around rocky areas or coral reefs. Young groupers, called juveniles, prefer to live in beds of turtle grass. Sometimes, these fish have also been found by fishing boats over muddy bottoms in the Gulf of Mexico. They can live in water from 2 to 137 metres (6.6 to 449.5 ft) deep.
How They Reproduce
Yellowfin groupers are special because they can change their sex. They are born as females. When they are about 51 centimetres (20 in) long and around 4.6 years old, they become ready to have babies. Later, when they are about 80.1 centimetres (31.5 in) long, they change into males.
These fish gather in groups to lay their eggs. These spawning groups happen at different times of the year, depending on where the fish live.
What Do They Eat?
Yellowfin groupers mainly eat other fish. More than 90% of what they eat is made up of reef fish. They also sometimes eat squid.
History of Their Name
The yellowfin grouper was first officially described by a scientist named Carolus Linnaeus. He wrote about it in his book Systema Naturae in 1758. He first named it Perca venenosa. He said it was found in "America," but scientists now think it was found in the Bahamas.
How People Use Yellowfin Groupers
People catch yellowfin groupers for fun (recreational fishing) and for selling (commercial fishing). However, in some areas, these fish can carry a natural poison called ciguatoxin. This poison can make people sick if they eat the fish. Because of this, yellowfin groupers are not caught much for food in those areas.
