Deep-water grouper (90 to 360 m), with yellow fin edges. Endangered in Brazil, where capture is banned; in Mexico, where it is the mero extraviado, it has commercial value.
Also called: garoupa-de-borda-amarela, yellowedge grouper
The yellowedge grouper lives in the western Atlantic, from North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. It is a deep-water grouper: it sits over rock and sand-and-mud bottoms, from 90 to 360 m, and on soft bottoms it is usually seen in trenches or burrow-like holes. It lives alone and feeds mostly on crabs and fish. It reaches 115 cm and 18.6 kg and is long-lived: the oldest recorded age is 35 years. In Mexico, where it is called mero extraviado, it is among the groupers of commercial value taken by the mid-height fleet. The IUCN classifies it as Vulnerable, and in April 2026 it was added to the Brazilian national list as Endangered, with capture banned.
fun facts
The oldest age recorded by FishBase is 35 years.
On soft bottom, it is usually seen in or near trenches and burrow-like holes.
It mainly eats crabs and fish.
how to recognize it
identification
Moderately deep body, beige or grayish brown, lighter on the belly. The easiest mark is the yellow edge on the dorsal and pectoral fins, sometimes also on the anal and caudal fins. A pale blue line runs from the eye to the corner of the preopercle, which is angular, with the teeth at the angle larger. Body depth is less than head length. The snowy grouper (Hyporthodus niveatus) is darker and has no yellow fin edges; the black grouper (Hyporthodus nigritus) is much larger and almost entirely dark.
how yellowedge grouper fishing looks
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
In Brazil, FishBase gives the species down to the country's southern limit (about 28 °S), in deep waters of the outer shelf and slope; we found no Brazilian survey that says where it is most common. Outside Brazil, it ranges from North Carolina to the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and to the Guianas and Venezuela.
Habitat: Rock and sand-and-mud bottoms on the outer shelf and slope, from 90 to 360 m, often in trenches or holes on soft bottoms.
coast
North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastshelfoceanic
calendar and clock
when to fish
best season
time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Living on the bottom, it hardly feels the seasons. What sets the season is the regulation: in Mexico grouper fishing closes from February to March, and in Puerto Rico's federal waters the species closes from February to April. In Brazil it may not be fished.
best time of day
Any time. At 90 m or deeper little sunlight arrives, so the time of day matters little; current and sea state matter more.
weather, water and behavior
what affects the yellowedge grouper
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
It lives in deep, cold, stable water; a cold front only bothers it through rough seas.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front brings choppy seas and makes it hard to hold station over the spot.
moon
Small effect.
rain
No effect at depth.
water level
Not applicable at sea.
noise
Not very sensitive to noise at that depth.
wind
Strong wind and fast drift keep the bait from staying on the bottom.
tide
Strong current drags the line; with moderate current the fish stays near the bottom.
deep bottom fishing gear beyond 90 m; the species may not be targeted in Brazil
spinning / baitcasting reel
electric or high-profile baitcaster
line
braided line 50 to 80 lb
leader
monofilament 80 to 120 lb
hook
barbless circle hook, which makes release easier
accessories
descender (descender) with weight
long-nose pliers
luvas
tip from an angler
The species comes from more than 90 m and almost always ascends with barotrauma. Keep the descending device rigged before lowering the line, and release the fish back to the bottom right away.
what the law says
rules for the yellowedge grouper
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency. Conservation: On the national list of threatened species as EN. IUCN global assessment: VU.
Threatened species in Brazil: catch banned
full protection
The national list (Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.667/2026) classifies the species as EN. Under Portaria GM/MMA nº 1.666/2026 (art. 3º), VU, EN and CR species have full protection: capture, transport, storage, processing and sale are prohibited. For species added to the list now, the ban applies 180 days after publication (DOU of 28/04/2026), that is, from the end of October 2026. If you hook one by accident, release it immediately, handling it as little as possible.
Mexico: grouper closed season from Feb 1 to Mar 31
catch prohibited from Feb 1 to Mar 3101/02 to 31/03
In Mexico, capture of all grouper species, a group in which NOM-065 includes the yellowedge grouper (mero aleta amarilla or extraviado), is banned from February 1 to March 31 in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico off Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, up to the Belize border. During that period, using bottom longline is also banned. The agreement does not mention recreational fishing: confirm with Conapesca whether it applies to your type of fishing.
Mexico: up to 3 kg of grouper per angler per day (household consumption)
3 kg per angler per day
In federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, NOM-065 allows, for domestic-consumption fishing, at most 3 kg per angler per day of any grouper or associated species, such as the yellowedge grouper. The fish is only for the angler's and family's consumption, may not be sold, and only equipment operated by one person is allowed. Recreational fishing has its own rule (NOM-017-PESC-1994), which we did not check.
Puerto Rico (federal waters): closed from Feb 1 to Apr 30
fishing and possession prohibited from Feb 1 to Apr 3001/02 to 30/04
In federal waters around Puerto Rico, beyond 9 miles from shore, it is prohibited to fish for or have aboard black, red, tiger, yellowedge and yellowfin grouper from February 1 to April 30 each year. It appears on that list under its English name. The possession ban does not apply to fish caught and landed before the closure.
Puerto Rico (federal waters): up to 5 per person per day
5 per person per day; 15 per boat with 3 or more people
In federal waters around Puerto Rico, beyond 9 miles from the coast, the recreational angler may keep a maximum of 5 fish per day from groupers, snappers and parrotfish combined (up to 15 per boat when there are 3 or more people aboard). The limit does not apply to anyone with a commercial license from Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
Capture prohibited in Brazil: always release right away. If it comes from more than 90 m, it ascends with barotrauma (stomach everted, eyes bulging). Use a descender to take it back to its capture depth and do not puncture the swim bladder. Barbless circle hook, wet hands and quick release.
in the kitchen
FishBase describes it as a fish sold fresh and of good quality, but in Brazil capture, transport and sale are prohibited. In Mexico (mero extraviado) it is caught by the commercial fleet, and for domestic consumption the 3 kg-per-angler-per-day grouper limit applies.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01738, b = 3.05; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The season weights (months), the time of day and the sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on field experience from anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species and may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the rule and link. The common size and weight ranges, water temperature and typical depth are also editorial estimates, anchored in FishBase data.
scientificFishBase: Hyporthodus flavolimbatus (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology and IUCN status. Page checked on 13/10/2026. Common size and weight ranges, water temperatures and typical depths are editorial estimates anchored in FishBase data. Entry name: we found no consolidated Brazilian Portuguese popular name for the species, so 'garoupa-de-borda-amarela' is descriptive (a translation of 'yellowedge grouper'). In Spanish, in Mexico, it is the 'mero extraviado' (NOM-065).
