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“Adult gag grouper live in nearshore waters from coastal North Carolina south to Brazil and as well as in the Gulf of Mexico. Red grouper can be found as far north as Massachusetts to southeastern Brazil, (including) the eastern Gulf of Mexico,” said Barry Nash, seafood technology and marketing specialist with North Carolina Sea Grant.
Nash said red grouper have an average life span of 30 years and can be as long as 49 inches, while gag grouper can reach 58 inches in length. Red grouper weigh an average of 51 pounds while gag grouper can get as big as 81 pounds, he said.
Gag grouper have a long, compressed body and 11 to 14 rays in its anal fin. Their coloration varies widely and changes with the size and age of the fish. Large gag are dark brownish-gray on top, and paler to white on the bottom. Gag also have traces of dark, wavy markings on their sides. Smaller gag are a lot lighter in coloring, and have numerous dark brown, or charcoal, kiss-like marks along ....

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