Deep-water grouper (30 to 400 m) with 8 or 9 regular dark bars on the body, the only one like it in the Caribbean. It does not occur in Brazil; in Mexico it is in the grouper NOM and in the February-to-March closure.
The misty grouper (garoupa-listrada) lives in the western Atlantic, from Bermuda and North Carolina to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, Cuba, Yucatán, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and through the Lesser Antilles to Trinidad; in the eastern Pacific, only in the Galápagos Islands. It is solitary and deep-water, recorded from 100 to 400 m, and juveniles sometimes appear at 30 m. It eats fish, crustaceans and squid. It reaches 160 cm and 107 kg. Almost nothing is known about its age, growth and reproduction. It is sold fresh, and the IUCN classifies it as Least Concern. It does not occur in Brazil.
fun facts
It is the only Caribbean grouper with 8 or 9 regular vertical bars.
Almost nothing is known about the species' age, growth and reproduction.
In the eastern Pacific it occurs only at the Galápagos Islands.
how to recognize it
identification
Head and body straw-colored (beige), with 8 or 9 regular dark brown vertical bars on the sides: it is the only Caribbean grouper with this pattern of regular bars. The pelvic fins are dark brown, almost black, and there is a well-marked dark brown band on the cheek, along the upper edge of the maxilla. Body depth fits 2.4 to 2.9 times into standard length, the forehead is convex, and the posterior nostrils are 4 times or more larger than the anterior ones. The Nassau grouper also has bars, but lives in shallow water.
how misty 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.
The species is not recorded in Brazil. It occurs from Bermuda and North Carolina to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, Cuba, Yucatán, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, and through the Lesser Antilles to Trinidad; in the eastern Pacific, only in the Galápagos.
Habitat: Rock bottoms and slope from 100 to 400 m; juveniles sometimes at 30 m.
calendar and clock
when to fish
best season
time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Living on the bottom, it hardly feels the seasons. In Mexico the grouper closure applies, from February 1 to March 31.
best time of day
Any time. At 100 m or deeper little light arrives, so time of day matters little; current and sea state matter more.
weather, water and behavior
what affects the misty 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.
depth
Adults from 100 to 400 m; juveniles sometimes at 30 m.
At 100 m or deeper, keep the descending device rigged before lowering the line: if you release it, the fish ascends with barotrauma.
what the law says
rules for the misty 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: Least Concern in the 2016 global assessment. It does not occur in Brazil, so it is not on the national list.
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 misty grouper (mero listado), 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 misty 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): 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.
If it comes from more than 100 m, it ascends with barotrauma (stomach everted, eyes bulging). Use a descender to return it to the bottom and do not puncture the swim bladder. Circle hook and quick release.
in the kitchen
Sold fresh, according to FishBase. In Mexico, domestic consumption of groupers is limited to 3 kg per angler per day.
calculator
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
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 mystacinus (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: FishBase lists no Portuguese name; 'garoupa-listrada' follows the pattern of species entries that do not occur in Brazil (a Portuguese group name plus the Spanish name, mero listado, used in NOM-065).
