# Atlantic Goliath Grouper (*epinephelus itajara*) The Atlantic Goliath Grouper is one of the largest fish in the ocean! These friendly giants can grow as big as a small car and love to hide among coral reefs. - **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Snaps:** 1 - **Habitat:** Goliath Groupers live in warm coastal waters and prefer coral reefs and rocky areas. - **Also known as:** Giant Grouper, Goliath Fish, Goliath Grouper, Jewfish ![Atlantic Goliath Grouper](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Itajara.JPG&width=800) Photo: Albert kok, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Itajara.JPG) ## Appearance The Atlantic Goliath Grouper is a massive, heavy-bodied fish with a mottled pattern of brown, green, and grey, allowing it to blend into rocky reef environments. It has small eyes set high on its head and a huge, upturned mouth, giving it a distinctive 'grouchy' appearance. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Actinopterygii - **Order:** Perciformes - **Family:** Serranidae - **Genus:** Epinephelus ## Interesting facts - Goliath Groupers can grow larger than a refrigerator! - They can live for over 50 years underwater! - They can swallow small sharks and barracudas whole! - Young groupers hide safely in tangled mangrove roots. ## Special abilities - **Vacuum Attack:** Atlantic Goliath Grouper can create a powerful vacuum by rapidly opening its huge mouth, sucking in unsuspecting prey. - **Booming Warning:** Atlantic Goliath Grouper has a special swim bladder that helps them make loud, booming sounds to scare off threats. - **Camouflage Cloak:** Atlantic Goliath Grouper has mottled skin patterns that help them blend seamlessly into rocky reefs and wrecks. - **Powerful Lunge:** Atlantic Goliath Grouper can burst from hiding with surprising speed to ambush prey that ventures too close. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 100-250 cm - **Weight:** 50-360 kg - **Lifespan:** 30-50 years - **Swim Speed:** 15 km/h - **Maximum Depth:** 100 m - **Water Type:** Saltwater ## Diet & Feeding A hungry hunter, it eats many fish, crabs, and even small sharks! - **Primary Foods:** Fish, Crabs, Lobsters, Octopuses, Small Sharks - **Foraging Method:** Ambush ## Ecological connections - **Hunts:** Grey Snapper (*Lutjanus griseus*) — A common prey fish in their habitat. - **Hunts:** Caribbean Spiny Lobster (*Panulirus argus*) — A favored crustacean prey item. - **Hunts:** Common Octopus (*Octopus vulgaris*) — Opportunistically preys on octopuses. - **Eaten by:** [Bull Shark](https://www.snappit.app/explore/bull-shark) (*Carcharhinus leucas*) — Juveniles can be prey for large sharks. ## Traits - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Carnivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/carnivorous): This trait identifies organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of animal tissue. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. - [Marine](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/marine): Marine habitats encompass all saltwater environments of the Earth's oceans, supporting an immense diversity of aquatic life. ## Collections - [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low No special safety notes yet. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Atlantic Goliath Grouper? Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Atlantic Goliath Grouper? 100-250 cm ### How much does Atlantic Goliath Grouper weigh? 50-360 kg ### How long does Atlantic Goliath Grouper live? 30-50 years ### What does Atlantic Goliath Grouper eat? A hungry hunter, it eats many fish, crabs, and even small sharks! ### How fast can Atlantic Goliath Grouper swim? 15 km/h ### Where is Atlantic Goliath Grouper usually found? Goliath Groupers live in warm coastal waters and prefer coral reefs and rocky areas. ### How does Atlantic Goliath Grouper hunt? Ambush ## Where to spot - [Albuquerque Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/albuquerque-aquarium) — New Mexico, US · Zoo - [Key West Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/key-west-aquarium) — US · Zoo - [Texas State Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/texas-state-aquarium) — Texas, US · Zoo - [Society of the Four Arts](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/society-of-the-four-arts) — Florida, US · Botanical Garden - [Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/wonders-of-wildlife-museum-and-aquarium) — Missouri, US · Zoo [View all places to see Atlantic Goliath Grouper](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/atlantic-goliath-grouper) ## More Fish - [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*) - [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*) - [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*) - [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*) --- Source: [Atlantic Goliath Grouper: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/atlantic-goliath-grouper)