Brown Grouper

Photo: frahome · CC BY-NC

Brown groupers are the resident apex predators of Lisca Bianca's rocky reef, occupying deep undercuts and cave entrances around the islet's base year-round. These long-lived fish are protogynous hermaphrodites — females that transition to male as they grow — and the large territorial males at Lisca Bianca can weigh over 20 kilograms. Their presence in such accessible shallow water reflects the lack of spearfishing pressure in the Aeolian Islands and makes encounters remarkably reliable for visiting divers.