Rock perch: description, size and habitat
Grouper belongs to the order Perciformes and the Serranidae family. This species is distinguished by a wide variety of colors, as well as amazing patterns on its scales. The color of the grouper depends not only on its habitat, but also on the physical and emotional state of the fish, so it can safely be called a “sea chameleon.”
The body of the grouper is decorated with either stripes or spots of unusual shape, which is why it is sometimes called a rock bass. In European countries this fish is called merou. The grouper's habitat is quite large; it can be found both in the Mediterranean Sea and in the waters of the Red Sea. In addition, the merow is found off the coast of North America: from the Caribbean to Greenland itself. On a commercial scale, fish are caught in the waters of the Indian Ocean.
The size of the grouper deserves special attention. There are rather small species, individuals of which reach a length of no more than 20 cm. And some representatives of the merow, especially brown and bronze in color, can reach a length of 250 cm and weigh more than 400 kg. This is almost one and a half times the height of an ordinary person, just imagine her size! The grouper fish in the photo presented in the article was caught by ordinary fishermen, and this is not the largest specimen. Indian fishermen hold the championship; in tropical waters they managed to catch a grouper weighing 458 kg and about 277 cm long.
In what bodies of water is it found?
Groupers prefer to live in salty and warm waters. But there are exceptions. Some species live in freshwater: rivers and lakes. Maculocella, for example, lives in the waters of Australia. It is the same size as a sea bass. But it is distinguished by its bright color.
The salinity of the reservoir is not the main living condition: the grouper lives where it can hide. Therefore, the bottom landscape becomes important. For a predator, the presence of natural hiding places is important. In this sense, silt is suitable: it helps the fish camouflage.
Since there are no natural shelters in rivers or lagoons with a sandy bottom, this type of fish is not found in such reservoirs. For them, the presence of polyps, piles, caves, and rocks is important.
The depth of the reservoir also matters. Deep-sea habitat is important - grouper is a large fish that tends to move further from the surface. It is important for them to lie down at 15–150 m. For example, the Atlantic giant grouper seeks greater depths.
Not only the bottom becomes important, but also what is above the water surface. Fish of this species prefer to live in bodies of water near which pelicans live. Birds attack schools of other fish, and groupers eat those that stray from the rest. In the oceans, this family has established interaction with moray eels, with which they share prey.
The predator lives in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans. Or in fresh water bodies in the south, east of Russia, America, Australia and Asia.
Varieties
The predator comes in several varieties. They differ in habitat, color, and size.
The Atlantic giant grouper is the largest representative of the predatory genus. It is brown in color and has beige spots on its body. Their richness and severity indicate age. The older the fish, the darker the color. The fins of this species are 20 cm long and yellow in color.
The giant predator is also called the small-eyed Indian Ocean. It lives not only in the Indian, but also in other oceans.
The red grouper is orange-scarlet in color with turquoise spots. These individuals are lighter in color when young, and darken as they age. The sizes of predators range from 40 to 45 cm.
Spotted individuals are 15 cm larger than red ones. They are brown in color with reddish markings arranged in the form of a honeycomb.
The potato grouper lives in the oceans. It got its name because its color resembles the color of a root vegetable. This fish belongs to families whose individuals reach 1.5 m in length and 110 kg in weight. Due to such dimensions, the predator is not eaten. The meat of these representatives is too tough, no recipes can give it taste.
Coral predators are the main commercial species. Those that weigh 20 kg and are 1 m long are recognized as trophy.
The most common varieties of commercial grouper
The most common species is the red grouper fish. The photo posted in the article shows that it is quite small in size, and therefore very convenient for fishing. It is the red grouper that is exported to most countries in the world. But there are individuals of other colors:
- white with spots;
- lyretail;
- red with stripes;
- marble.
These species are rarer, their fillets are much more valuable.
Reproduction and lifespan of grouper
The heroes of the article are hermaphrodites; they produce sperm while simultaneously having an ovary. The fish itself produces eggs and fertilizes them. The scheme seems ideal. However, fresh genes are needed. One fish copies them for generations. Gradually, the genome degenerates. Therefore, groupers are in favor of connections with other representatives of the species.
The hemaphrodism of groupers plays into the hands of aquarists. By purchasing one, they can get many free ones. However, this is the danger of keeping rockfish.
Where can you get an aquarium that is the right size for a flock of groupers? In crowded conditions they will die prematurely. However, many individuals die prematurely in the wild, being eaten by larger predators.
The maximum lifespan of a stone fish is comparable to that of a perch. Centenarians die at age 30. The majority are content with 10-15 years.
A true delight for connoisseurs: the taste of fish
Grouper fish can safely be called a seafood delicacy. Its fillet has a delicate but rather specific taste with a pleasant sea aroma. The structure of the fish is fine-grained, white in color with a small amount of fat. The merrow has a slightly sweet taste, as its diet is dominated by molluscs and crustaceans. In terms of fillet density and taste characteristics, rock perch can easily be placed on a par with elite sturgeon.
Heat treatment has virtually no effect on the quality characteristics of the fish; it remains just as tender and at the same time dense. The fillet does not darken, the aroma of sea freshness is not replaced by an unpleasant odor. This is why grouper is often served in the most expensive restaurants.
Origin of the species and description
Photo: Grouper
Grouper is classified into the phylum Chordata, class ray-finned fish, order Perciformes, family rock perch, genus grouper.
The lifestyle, features of vital activity and stages of evolution of the rock perch have not been thoroughly studied. However, scientists and researchers have determined that these representatives of marine flora and fauna appeared about five million years ago. The appearance of the Isthmus of Panama about 3 million years ago contributed to the division of fish into two subspecies due to the division of the population territorially.
Not only tasty, but also healthy!
Like all seafood, rock bass is very beneficial for our body:
- Merrow fillet can be considered dietary. The calorie content of grouper fish per 100 grams is only 118 kcal. This is a fairly low figure, considering that the main nutrient is protein and the fat content is extremely low.
- Since rock perch lives in sea waters, its fillet is enriched with useful and valuable minerals such as phosphorus, selenium, sodium, potassium and calcium.
- Sea fish is an excellent source of proteins and essential amino acids. This significantly speeds up metabolism in the body and saturates cells with oxygen.
- The vitamin complex has a beneficial effect on the nervous system and also helps maintain normal blood sugar levels.
- Regular consumption of grouper improves skin condition.
- In addition, seafood products are very useful for people with thyroid problems.
Useful properties of grouper
Meat of this variety is distinguished by the fact that it contains a huge amount of easily digestible protein, it contains a large amount of micro and macroelements, but despite this, it is characterized by a low calorie composition. The maximum content of the following elements: selenium, potassium, phosphorus and others. Meat is a delicious and healthy food product.
If you eat it at least once a week, you can significantly reduce cholesterol levels in the blood, strengthen nerve tissue and avoid problematic issues of memory deterioration in old age.
Grouper dishes in the cuisine of different countries
Grouper fish is very popular among Americans and Europeans. Specimens weighing from 30 to 50 kg are most valued. The main advantage is that the fillet is almost boneless, very tender and pleasant to the taste. Usually, very large specimens are not very popular among chefs, since adult fish are very bony and acquire a specific smell over time.
Small fish are also quite in demand. Groupers weighing up to 1 kg are often cooked over an open fire. This dish is quite popular in many restaurants around the world.
A true Mediterranean masterpiece: “Greek Grouper”
This is a fairly simple and at the same time delicious grouper fish recipe.
The ingredients you will need are the following:
- grouper steak - 5 pcs.;
- large onion - 1 pc.;
- green onions - 1 bunch;
- garlic - 2 heads;
- dry wine - 1 glass;
- hard cheese - 125 grams;
- walnuts - 1 cup;
- juice of one lemon;
- chicken broth - 70 grams;
- olive oil for frying;
- salt and spices.
Preparation:
- First you need to sprinkle the fish with lemon juice and fry the steaks on both sides in olive oil until crispy.
- Then finely chopped onions and garlic are fried separately.
- Broth, wine, salt and spices are added to the pan with the onions and garlic. The resulting mixture is poured over the fish and simmered over low heat until cooked.
- When serving, the dish is decorated with chopped nuts, herbs and cheese.
You can serve rice or pasta as a side dish, but the fish itself is very filling and nutritious.
Spicy and unusual: grouper kebab
We offer another interesting recipe for preparing grouper fish - shish kebab. This method is very popular in India; most often the fish is served on bamboo sticks.
Ingredients:
- juice of five lemons;
- large grouper flesh;
- turmeric;
- spices;
- salt and pepper mixture;
- olive oil - 150 g;
- tomatoes - 7 pcs.;
- eggplants - 3 pcs.
Preparation:
- The first step is to prepare the marinade mixture. To do this, mix oil and lemon juice and add all the spices and herbs. For aroma, you can grate a little zest; citrus notes will improve the taste.
- Cut the fish into medium pieces and leave in the marinade for 2 hours. Then dip it with napkins to remove pieces of spices, otherwise they will burn on an open fire.
- Cut the vegetables into slices and put them on skewers along with the fish.
- You can cook shish kebab on the grill or in the oven. This requires no more than 10 minutes.
Can be served with rice and fresh vegetables.
Grouper species
Of the almost 100 species of grouper, 19 live in the Red Sea, 7 in the waters of the Mediterranean. These are small species. The largest ones are found in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic oceans. Medium-sized fish are often caught off the coast of Japan, Africa and Australia.
Not all groupers are eaten. Here are examples of aquarium species:
- sumana
- 5-centimeter lyopropoma svales, colored with longitudinal white and orange stripes, between which there are black spots
- The 30-centimeter six-striped Grammistes is black and white and has glands on its body containing the toxin Grammistin.
- yellowfin brightly colored grouper
- senderong elongated and flattened laterally
- red grouper or coral garrupa, on the scarlet body of which there are scattered multiple dark round spots
Also in aquariums they contain Lioprolom meteor and dotted, blue-striped gracile, three-tailed grouper. All are demanding of the bottom landscape. It should be full of hiding places. It is also important to feed groupers well. Otherwise, they attack other inhabitants of the aquarium.
Groupers can also attack each other. Being solitary, individuals begin to divide the territory. Therefore, you need a spacious aquarium.
The main trophy species is the giant one. Grouper sizes reach up to 3 meters and weight up to 4 hundred kilos. A three-hundred-kilogram specimen was caught in 1961 off the coast of Florida. The interesting thing is that the fish was caught using a spinning rod. The record remains unbroken.
The body thickness of the giant fish is only 1.5 times less than its height. There are up to 16 rows of itches on the lower jaw of an adult. The upper jaw extends onto the vertical edge of the eye. Juveniles have gill rakers that disappear during puberty.
The giant grouper is often brown with beige spots. The color is darker and more contrasting in older individuals.
Simple and tasty: grilled fish with vegetables
There is nothing easier and more delicious than grilled grouper fish. If you want to appreciate the full range of natural taste of fish, you can prepare it in this simple way:
- In this case, it is better to choose a small specimen (weighing up to 700 grams).
- Be sure to scale the fish, but be extremely careful, the grouper has many sharp defensive spines on its body.
- As for seasonings, you should give preference only to coarse sea salt. Nothing else is needed, we don’t want to interrupt the real taste of the ocean, do we?
- To prevent the fish skin from becoming deformed, make cross-shaped cuts on the carcass, then grill it on both sides. Both an open fire and a grill pan will do. The total cooking time over the fire should not exceed 10 minutes, otherwise you risk drying out the fish.
- Then wrap the grouper in foil and let it rest for a while. Grilled vegetables can be served as a side dish.
Try to include as many seafood products in your diet as possible, because they are a real storehouse of vitamins and minerals from the ocean itself. Plus it's incredibly delicious!
Habitats
This type of fish prefers tropical waters, so their habitats do not extend to areas where the water is less cold. As a rule, the most suitable habitat for this fish is the waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Grouper is quite often found off the coast of Africa, Japan and Australia. Prefers not deep places, with values no more than 100 meters. He spends a lot of time in hiding and only occasionally, if necessary, does he leave them. Wrecks and coral reefs are common hiding places for grouper. The diet of this predator includes small fish, crabs, lobsters, as well as small sharks and rays. The main thing is that they fit in his mouth.
As a rule, the grouper swallows its prey whole and instantly, due to the special structure of its jaws. While in its shelter, this fish constantly monitors potential prey and, if it suits it, it immediately swallows it. The grouper reproduces with the help of eggs, which it lays in places where corals accumulate. After birth, the fry of this fish find here both food for themselves and shelter from enemies.
