Spotted black grouper
Spotted black groupers are large, territorial reef fishes that can reach 2 m in length and at least 80 kg, although most seen in New Zealand are considerably smaller than this. Spotted black grouper are vulnerable to overfishing and are completely protected in New Zealand waters.
Spotted black grouper inhabit rocky reefs in estuaries and on the open coast to at least 50m depth.
The main threat to this species is accidental capture by line and spearfishers.
If you inadvertently kill a spotted black grouper please keep the specimen and notify DOC immediately so that we can fill the gaps in our knowledge of the species' biology.
Spotted black grouper can easily be confused with a variety of related species. If you are in doubt about what species you have caught, release it alive and unharmed.
Threatened species classifications
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