tenspine grouper
Hyporthodus exsul
Dark grouper of deep reefs of the eastern Pacific, apparently too rare for the trade. It is almost never caught on rod and reel.
Also called: garoupa-escura, garoupa, cherna pintada, tenspine grouper
- maximum
- 125 cm
who is the tenspine grouper
The dark grouper is a fish of the family Epinephelidae and reaches 125 cm. It lives in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Panama, passing through Central America, on deep reefs from 55 m down. Adults are dark brown with no markings, and juveniles have many white spots, sometimes with a paler caudal fin. It is apparently too rare to interest the trade, and enters only subsistence fishing. For sport anglers it is a very rare catch.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the tenspine grouper; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- One of the juveniles examined came from 55 m deep.
identification
Adults dark brown, with no distinct markings. Juveniles are dark brown with many white spots. The posterior nostril is larger than the anterior one and is shaped like an inverted drop. Compare it with the starry grouper (Hyporthodus niphobles): its juveniles have white spots in a grid, while the juveniles of this species have only many white spots. Do not confuse it with the rooster grouper (Hyporthodus acanthistius), which has a black band above the maxilla.
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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.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Lives in the eastern Pacific, from the Gulf of California to Panama, passing through Central America.
Habitat: Deep reefs, from 55 m down.
rules for the tenspine 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.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
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.
Poses no danger to anglers. As it comes from deep bottom, it may suffer barotrauma on the way up: handle it with care and release it promptly.
in the kitchen
It enters subsistence fishing; apparently it is too rare to interest the trade.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01318, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa pelo gênero e formato do corpo)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Hyporthodus exsul (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Hyporthodus exsulNames by country and language.
