SpinyheadPlay freeGraysby Cephalopholis cruentata
The graysby is a small, secretive grouper of Caribbean and western Atlantic reefs. It is usually seen resting motionless on or near the bottom, often beneath ledges or beside coral heads, and it can change its shade quickly from pale to dark. It is one of the most abundant small groupers on many Caribbean reefs. Although it is a modest-sized fish, it is a capable ambush predator of small fishes and crustaceans.
How to recognize it
- small, stout grouper body
- pale to brown with dark spots
- 5 or so dark blotches along the upper back
- spots on head and body do not form a pattern of lines
- rounded tail fin
- white or pale spots on the back and sides
- dark spots may be orange-brown on head and fins
| Size | Typically about 20 to 30 cm; maximum reported about 43 cm. |
|---|---|
| Range | Western Atlantic from North Carolina and Bermuda through Florida, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, south to Brazil. |
| Habitat | Coral reefs and rocky bottoms, often around ledges, crevices and coral heads. Mostly found in shallow to moderate depths, commonly from a few metres to about 40 m or so, and occasionally deeper. |
| Diet | Ambush predator that eats mainly small fishes and crustaceans such as crabs and shrimps, which it captures by a quick rush from a hiding place. |
| Conservation | Listed as Least Concern by the IUCN in past assessments, though it is taken by fisheries throughout its range and is vulnerable to local overfishing and reef habitat decline. |
Life and behavior
Graysbys are generally solitary and territorial, spending much of the day close to shelter. Like many groupers they are protogynous hermaphrodites, meaning individuals mature as females and some later change into males. They are thought to spawn in small groups rather than in the large aggregations typical of bigger groupers. Eggs and larvae are pelagic before young settle onto reefs. They grow slowly and are relatively short-lived compared with large groupers.
Its family: Groupers and sea basses (Epinephelidae)
Groupers are heavy-bodied, large-mouthed predatory fishes that engulf prey by suction. Most live on reefs or rocky bottoms and are ambush hunters. Many are protogynous hermaphrodites, changing from female to male with age. Larger species are often heavily fished.
Similar species
- Coney Cephalopholis fulva Coney has bright blue spots edged in black and often a pair of black spots on the chin; the graysby lacks blue spots and has darker blotches along the back.
- Red hind Epinephelus guttatus Red hind is larger and covered in red-brown spots with a dark-edged tail and fin margins; the graysby is smaller, with a rounded tail and spots less evenly spread.
- Rock hind Epinephelus adscensionis Rock hind is larger, with big dark spots and a few pale blotches on the back, and a different, less stocky look than the graysby.
