Dusky grouper
Epinephelus marginatus
- Scientific name
- Epinephelus marginatus
- Group
- Reef fish
- Rarity
- Common
- Where to see it
- Mediterranean
- Conservation status (IUCN)
- Vulnerable
Did you know?
The dusky grouper is born female and can change sex to become male later in life. Territorial and curious, it can live more than 50 years, but its lack of wariness around humans has made it an easy target for spearfishing.
What defines this group — Reef fish
The bony fish that live against coral and rock: the living backdrop of almost every dive.
- A bony skeleton, scales, and a rigid gill cover closing over the gills.
- A swim bladder acts as a float: they hold their depth without swimming.
- Many change colour, pattern — sometimes even sex — over the course of their life.
Other species in this group
- Ocellaris clownfish
- Blue tang
- Red lionfish
- Spot-fin porcupinefish
- Mediterranean moray
- Clark's anemonefish