Nassau Grouper
CR

Nassau Grouper

Epinephelus striatus

Declining

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassau_grouper

Overview

The Nassau grouper is one of the large number of perciform fishes in the family Serranidae commonly referred to as groupers. It is the most important of the groupers for commercial fishery in the West Indies, but has been endangered by overfishing.

The Nassau grouper faces severe population declines primarily due to intensive fishing pressure targeting their predictable spawning aggregations, where thousands of individuals gather at specific sites during winter months. Overfishing has eliminated many historical spawning sites throughout the Caribbean, with some populations experiencing declines exceeding 80% since the 1970s. Habitat degradation of coral reef ecosystems and coastal development further compound the species' vulnerability by reducing juvenile nursery areas.

Threat summary

Habitat

Nassau groupers inhabit coral reefs, rocky bottoms, and seagrass beds in tropical western Atlantic waters from Florida to southern Brazil. Adults typically occupy deeper reef areas at 20-100 meters depth, while juveniles utilize shallow nearshore habitats including mangroves and seagrass beds as nursery areas.

Rocky areas· majorMarine neritic· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoveryLegislationPolicies and regulationsCompliance and enforcement

Other threatened species in EPINEPHELIDAE

VU

Dusky Grouper

Mycteroperca marginata

Declining
VU

Rooster Hind

Hyporthodus acanthistius

Declining
EN

Sailfin Grouper

Mycteroperca olfax

Declining
Island GrouperVU

Island Grouper

Mycteroperca fusca

Declining

Threatened in Anguilla

EN

Anguilla Bank Skink

Spondylurus powelli

Declining
EN

Alsophis rijgersmaei

Declining
EN

Censky's Ameiva

Pholidoscelis corax

Unknown
Scaly-naped PigeonVU

Scaly-naped Pigeon

Patagioenas squamosa

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Nassau Grouper classified as Critically Endangered?
Nassau Grouper is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Nassau grouper faces severe population declines primarily due to intensive fishing pressure targeting their predictable spawning aggregations, where thousands of individuals gather at specific sites during winter months. Overfishing has eliminated many historical spawning sites throughout the Caribbean, with some populations experiencing declines exceeding 80% since the 1970s. Habitat degradation of coral reef ecosystems and coastal development further compound the species' vulnerability by reducing juvenile nursery areas.
Where does Nassau Grouper live?
Nassau Grouper occurs in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, and Bermuda (plus 32 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Nassau Grouper?
The main threats to Nassau Grouper are 5.4, 8.1, 8.2, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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