speckled hind
Epinephelus drummondhayi
A large rocky-bottom grouper, reaching 110 cm, found in the Gulf of Mexico. It does not occur in Brazil and is also sought by sport anglers.
Also called: garoupa-salpicada, mero pintarroja, speckled hind
- maximum
- 110 cm
- record/max.
- 30.0 kg
- depth
- 60–120 m
who is the speckled hind
A fish of the family Epinephelidae, the family of groupers and sea basses. It reaches 110 cm and 30 kg. It lives on rocky bottoms far from shore, between 25 and 183 m, but is most common between 60 and 120 m. It eats fish and crustaceans, like other groupers. It occurs in the North American Atlantic, from North Carolina to the Florida Keys, and in the northern and eastern Gulf of Mexico. In Latin America it is recorded in Mexico. It is caught commercially and is also sought by sport anglers.
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 speckled hind; in the meantime, see the similar species.
fun facts
- Specimens 45 years old have been recorded.
identification
A fish with an elongated, laterally compressed body, found on rocky bottoms. Its popular names refer to the spots that cover the body: in Spanish, pintarroja means "with red spots", and the English name, speckled hind, means "speckled". It looks like other groupers of the Gulf of Mexico, such as the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) and the red grouper (Epinephelus morio). In practice, check the spots, the size and the depth where the fish was caught.
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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
In Latin America it occurs only in Mexico, in the Gulf of Mexico. Outside it, it occurs in the North American Atlantic, from the Carolinas to Florida, and in Bermuda.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms far from shore, most common between 60 and 120 m.
rules for the speckled hind
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.
It has no venom, but it is a bottom fish: rapid ascent causes barotrauma, so release requires care.
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: Epinephelus drummondhayi (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Epinephelus drummondhayiNames by country and language.
