Dusky Grouper

Photo: erythro07 · CC BY-NC

Dusky grouper at Miseno reach impressive sizes, with several resident individuals exceeding 60 centimetres and showing no avoidance of divers who maintain a respectful distance. As a protogynous hermaphrodite the species produces large territorial males from previously female individuals, and the big specimens here are almost certainly decades old. Their role as apex predators keeps the reef's wrasse and sea bream populations in check, contributing to a visibly structured food web.