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Brownish gray in color with dark worm-like markings on sides;
strong serrated spur at bottom margin of preopercle, less
noticeable in large specimens; fins dark, with anal and caudal
having white margin. Often confused with Black Grouper; most
noticeable differences are brassy spots on Black Grouper;
tail of Gag is slightly concave, black is square; Gag has
white margin on anal and caudal fins, black does not; under
10 pounds, Gag’s spur on preopercle is distincive, where
black is gently rounded. |
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Adults OFFSHORE over rocks and reefs; juveniles occur in
seagrass beds INSHORE. |
Common to 25 pounds. |
Forms spawningaggregations in water no shallower than 120
feet in Middle Grounds area. January through March; current
research to identify similar aggregations off the Atlantic
coast is on going. Young Gags are predominantly female, transforming
into males as they grow larger; feeds on fish and squid. |
