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Goliath Grouper
Species Information
| Scientific Name: | Epinephelus itajara |
| Common Names: | goliath, jewfish |
| Environment: | Inshore, Nearshore, Offshore |
| Ideal Temp: | 73-82°F (23-28°C) |
About Goliath Grouper
The Atlantic goliath grouper or itajara (Epinephelus itajara), also known as the jewfish, is a large saltwater fish of the grouper family found primarily in shallow tropical waters among coral and artificial reefs at depths from 5 to 50 m (16 to 164 ft). On the Western side, its range includes the Florida Keys in the US, the Bahamas, most of the Caribbean and most of the Brazilian coast. On some occasions, it is caught off the coasts of the US states of Maine and Massachusetts. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, it occurs from the Congo to Senegal.
Young Atlantic goliath groupers may live in brackish estuaries, oyster beds, canals, and mangrove swamps, which is unusual behavior among groupers. They may reach extremely large sizes, growing to lengths up to 2.5 m (8.2 ft) and can weigh as much as 360 kg (790 lb). The world record for a hook-and-line-captured specimen is 308.44 kg (680.0 lb), caught off Fernandina Beach, Florida, in 1961. They are usually around 180 kg (400 lb) when mature. Considered of fine food quality, Atlantic goliath grouper were a highly sought-after quarry for fishermen. It is a relatively easy prey for spear fishermen because of the grouper's inquisitive and generally fearless nature. They also tend to spawn in large aggregations, returning annually to the same locations. This makes them particularly vulnerable to mass harvesting while breeding.
Goliath groupers eat crustaceans, other fish, octopuses, sea turtles, sharks, stingrays, and barracudas. They are known to attack divers, and have even been seen attacking large lemon sharks.
The Goliath Grouper has been under federal protection since 1990 and it is illegal to remove one from the water in the United States, Carribean, and Brazil.
Goliath Grouper Fishing
| World Record: | 308.44 kg (680.0 lb) off Fernandina Beach, Florida on May 20, 1961 |
| # Fish Caught: | 22300 documented in database. |
| Earliest Record: | 1/1/1860 12:00:00 AM and located at 26.34236, -81.78007. |
| Latest Record: | 6/30/2024 9:26:56 PM and located at 26.49066, -81.99085. |
| Common Techniques: | Bottom Fishing, Chunking, Jigging |
| Popular Lure Types: | Bottom Rig, Jigs |
| Fishing Spots: | 1068 Goliath Grouper fishing spots. |
Latest Goliath Grouper Fishing Reports and Spots
This is the 3rd week of June 2024. The rain we had for the last 2 weeks has the Snook bite on fire. This happens every June we get tons of wate (
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Key Highlights Cape Coral is a prime boating destination with 400 miles of canals and beautiful homes. The city offers a variety of family-fri (
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There are a few things going on going on that’s sends me into the back country. The first one is the pea green water in Fl. Bay the second is t (
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I am sorry about the lack of reports but computer I’ve had some issues. I’m back on fishing reports. The winds have been continuous since Chris (
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Spring Break 2024! Flamingo Report! 3/ 12-14/ 24 Last week was pretty good Mike Drippe and his son Quinton had some great Fishing over 3 days i (
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Goliath Grouper caught and released 2/28/24 Title: A Memorable Family Fishing Adventure in Key West Florida Picture this: a crisp late February (
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01-27-24 It’s been kind of slow but I still need and want to be on water. I can always call my buddy Mike to help me stay on the fish Mike keep (
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When you think of winter you think of cold and snow up north but in South Florida it’s not that way. Most of the cold fronts this year affect u (
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The past week or so the weather has changed. We have had hard NE winds which pushed the mullet through Biscayne Bay. I got out with my son Jame (
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The "Take Stock in Children Tournament" sounds like an event focused on fundraising and support for the "Take Stock in Children" program which (
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