olive grouper
Hyporthodus cifuentesi
Grouper of deep reefs of the eastern Pacific, heavily fished and sold fresh. It has a pale brown tone with a greenish sheen on the body.
Also called: garoupa-oliva, garoupa, gallina, olive grouper
- maximum
- 100 cm
- record/max.
- 22.3 kg
- depth
- 40–120 m
who is the olive grouper
The olive grouper is a fish of the family Epinephelidae. It reaches 100 cm and 22.3 kg. It lives on deep rocky reefs of the eastern Pacific, 40 to 120 m deep, at the Galápagos Islands, Cocos Island and the coast of Costa Rica, and probably also in Mexico. It is heavily fished commercially and sold fresh in markets. In sport fishing it is considered a line fish. The body is pale brown with a greenish sheen, and juveniles have few markings, only a dark groove on the maxilla.
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 olive grouper; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Head and body pale brown, with a greenish sheen on the body. The lips, the tip of the lower jaw and the upper part of the body are darker. The fins are brown, darker than the body, with a blue-green reflection, and the pelvic fins are pale brown. Juveniles have no markings, only a dark groove on the maxilla. Compare it with the starry grouper (Hyporthodus niphobles), whose adults are dark brown.
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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, at the Galápagos Islands (Ecuador), Cocos Island and the coast of Costa Rica. It is also recorded from Panama and probably from Mexico.
Habitat: Deep rocky reefs, 40 to 120 m.
rules for the olive 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 is sold fresh in markets.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01096, b = 3.04; 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
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 cifuentesi (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 cifuentesiNames by country and language.
