BY MICHAEL PATRICK O’NEILL
Goliath grouper
(Epinephelus itajara)
EQUIPMENT:
Nikon D2X, 10.5mm fisheye lens, Aquatica housing, Inon Z-220 strobes (2)
SETTINGS:
1/200 sec @ f/9, ISO 100
LOCATION:
M/V Zion Train wreck near Jupiter, Fla
A
ble to reach nearly
800 pounds and
more than 8 feet
long, goliath groupers
(Epinephelus itajara) are
among the biggest bony
fish in the ocean. They’re
found on both sides of
the tropical Atlantic,
throughout the Caribbean
and Gulf of Mexico and
as far south as Brazil. In
the eastern Pacific they
range from Baja California
to Peru. Young fish inhabit
estuaries, lagoons and
mangrove areas, while
adults prefer deep reefs,
shipwrecks and caves.
For generations,
fishermen severely depleted
goliath stocks, killing
immature fish along with
gargantuan adults for food,
“hero” photographs and
egos. The tide began to turn
for goliaths in 1990 when
Florida enacted laws that
completely protected them.
The return of the goliath
grouper is a conservation
success story, but
fishermen are lobbying hard
to permit the harvesting of
these animals once again.
Despite this pressure, the
Florida Fish and Wildlife
Commission states that no
plans exist to remove the
goliath groupers from its
list of protected species.
The comeback of
this impressive fish
demonstrates nature’s
resilience and shows
that we can turn things
around. Good news about
our marine environment
is always welcome and
refreshing.
AD
PARTING SHOT
112
|
WINTER 2014
