Reddish grouper from rocky shelf bottoms. Endangered in Brazil: anglers may only fish catch-and-release, and there is a closed season from August 1 to September 30.
Also called: garoupa-são-tomé, garoupa-de-são-tomé, garoupa-vermelha, garoupa-vermelha-dos-abrolhos, red grouper
The red grouper (garoupa-são-tomé, or garoupa-vermelha) lives in the western Atlantic, from North Carolina to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda. Adults stay on rocky and muddy shelf bottoms, usually at 70 to 330 m; juveniles can appear in shallow water. It stays still near the bottom and eats fish and invertebrates. It is born female, and most individuals turn male between 7 and 14 years old; it can live about 25 years. Off the coast of Maranhão, studied fish measured 46 to 91 cm and weighed up to 9 kg, and spawning ran from June to December. This biology has left it vulnerable to fishing, and in 2026 it was reclassified as Endangered on the national list. Anglers may fish for it only catch-and-release, and there is a closed season from August 1 to September 30.
fun facts
The sex change, from female to male, happens on average at about 75 cm and 9.5 years.
FishBase lists as the line-and-hook record a 39-pound fish (about 17.7 kg) caught at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
how to recognize it
identification
Robust body, dark reddish-brown, pinkish to reddish below, sometimes with scattered light spots. The second dorsal spine is the longest, and the membranes between the spines have no notch. Straight-edged fins in large fish. No saddle mark on the tail peduncle. The garoupa-verdadeira is brown with light spots and white fin edges; the cherne-verdadeiro has white spots and a black saddle on the peduncle.
how red 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, from Maranhão to the South, over rocky shelf bottoms. In Maranhão it is caught together with sirigado and landed in Ceará; in Bahia it is also called garoupa-vermelha-dos-abrolhos.
Habitat: Rock, gravel and mud bottoms of the shelf, shoals and edges; juveniles in shallower water.
coast
North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastshelf
states
Maranhão, Piauí, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paraná, Santa Catarina
calendar and clock
when to fish
best season
time of year
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
In Maranhão, spawning runs from June to December, and the national closed season covers August and September. Since anglers may only release, timing matters less than current and sea conditions.
best time of day
Any time. In bottoms deeper than 50 m, the time of day matters little; current matters more.
weather, water and behavior
what affects the red grouper
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Lives in deep, colder and more stable water.
atmospheric pressure
A cold front brings rough seas and prevents holding position over the shoal.
moon
Small effect.
rain
No effect at depth.
water level
Does not depend on water level.
noise
Little sensitivity beyond 50 m.
wind
Strong wind prevents staying over the rock.
tide
Strong current makes it hard to keep the bait on the bottom.
circle hook 6/0 to 9/0, preferably barbless (makes release easier)
lures
200 to 400 g slow pitch jigs
natural baits
lula
fish steak
accessories
descender (descender) with weight
sinker of 300 g to 1 kg
long-nose pliers
tip from an angler
For anglers, the red grouper is always released: have the descender rigged before dropping the line and return the fish to the bottom without delay.
what the law says
rules for the red 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: It was already on the previous list and moved up to Endangered. Use is allowed only under the terms of the recovery plan (Portaria MMA 292/2018) and PI SG-PR/MMA 59-C/2018, under review by Portaria 1.666/2026 (art. 11). Global assessment: VU (IUCN, 2016).
Amateur fishing for catch and release only
mandatory catch and releaseNorth CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coast
Recreational and sport fishing for red grouper is allowed only in catch-and-release mode, in all Brazilian waters. Targeted fishing, transport, landing and trade outside the portaria's rules are prohibited; a specimen caught by chance outside these rules must be released alive or discarded on the spot, with a record.
fishing prohibited August 1 to September 3001/08 to 30/09North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coast
Red grouper fishing is prohibited from August 1 to September 30, along with caranha, sirigado and badejo-amarelo. On-board retention and landing are tolerated until August 3; trade during the period is allowed only with stock declared to Ibama until August 10.
45 cm (TL)North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coast
Authorized commercial fishing may only retain, transport and sell red grouper 45 cm or more in total length. It does not apply to recreational anglers, who must release all of them.
Red grouper is on the national list as Endangered. Since it was already on the previous list and was upgraded, the recovery plan (Portaria MMA 292/2018) and the rules of PI 59-C/2018 remain in force during the review ordered by Portaria GM/MMA 1.666/2026. Check for changes before fishing.
In Mexican federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, red grouper may only be kept at 36.3 cm or more in total length; smaller fish must be returned alive to the water. For domestic consumption fishing, the limit is 3 kg of grouper per angler per day, and the fish may not be sold.
Mexico: grouper closed season from Feb 1 to Mar 31
catch prohibited from Feb 1 to Mar 3101/02 to 31/03
In Mexico, catching all grouper species, a group in which the official standard includes red grouper, is prohibited from February 1 to March 31 in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean off Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán and Quintana Roo, up to the Belize border. Bottom longlines are also prohibited during the period.
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 the coast, it is prohibited to fish for or have aboard red grouper, black grouper, tiger grouper, yellowedge grouper and yellowfin grouper from February 1 to April 30 of each year.
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.
Closed season for caranha, sirigado/badejo-quadrado (black grouper), garoupa-são-tomé and badejo-amarelo
01/08 to 30/09North CoastNortheast CoastSoutheast CoastSouth Coastconfirm with the agency
Closed season for threatened reef fish whose use is regulated by the recovery plan (Portaria MMA 292/2018 and PI 59-C/2018). Period confirmed in the 2026 official closed-season calendar of Sema-BA. We could not read PI 59-C (sizes and recreational-angler rules). Black grouper (badejo-quadrado) moved to EN in the 2026 list, and the plan is under review.
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 usually rises with barotrauma (stomach out, bulging eyes). Use a descender to take it back to the bottom; do not puncture the swim bladder. Use a barbless circle hook and release quickly, without keeping the fish out of the water for long.
in the kitchen
White, prized flesh, but in Brazil recreational fishing for this species is catch-and-release only.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01445, b = 3.01; FishBase (estimativa bayesiana para o gênero e o formato do corpo, comprimento total)). 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 the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data nor a measurement made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the norm and a link.
