Grouper Fish Population Importance for Sea Ecosystem

You might want to get more information about grouper fish population in their natural habitat especially since this fish is very popular all around the world. Actually when speaking about the grouper fish, you should know that there are two of the species types that are popular among other species. The first one is the Nassau grouper species while the second one is the Black grouper species. For the first grouper species, you can find the population spread on the western area of Atlantic Ocean, all around Caribbean Sea area, and in several area of the Mexico Gulf. Then for the second grouper species, you can find the population spread on the coast of Bermuda area, the western area of Atlantic Ocean, all around Caribbean Sea area, and in several area of the Mexico Gulf.

Effect of Grouper Fish Population in the Habitat

Actually you can find grouper fish population spread at various areas all around the world. But usually every species of grouper fish likes to choose their own area where they populate and grow. That is why; every species of grouper fish might populate different area in the world. Nevertheless, most of them will populate certain place in those areas. For example the grouper fish juvenile will populate places in those areas that are closer to the shore. The reason is they will be able to stay on the sea grass bed or on the tidal pool and use it as their hiding place while growing to become adult grouper fish. While populating these places, they will eat small creatures that they can found on the sea water for example small crustaceans, microalgae, and even plankton.

Meanwhile the adult grouper fish will populate places that are deeper such as the bottom of the sea. You can also found grouper fish population spread in the tropical as well as subtropical places around the world but most of the time, their population is around the coral reef area. You should also know that for mostly the grouper fish would stay in their individual hideout and would not spread in school. The only time when you can find them gathered around in large school is on their reproduction time. Usually they will populate places where they can find a lot of other sea fishes that they can feed on such as snapper, wrasse, damselfish, and parrotfish. They will also feed on other sea creature that they can find while staying in that area such as octopus, crustaceans, crab and lobster.

You can find significant grouper fish population growth as this fish likes to stay in the same place in very long period. The reason might be because they are not fast swimmer and they cannot cover long distance traveling. That is why; all they do is to hide in their spot and wait for their pray to come closer so they can ambush them with their powerful and strong jaw. However, there are several grouper species that display unique behavior by following eel when it goes to forage the bottom of the sea. This behavior is done so they can feed on the small fish and even crustacean that tries to run away from the eel that forage their hiding place.

Usually the grouper fish population decrease will happen when there are a lot of predators in their area. Some of their natural predators are barracuda, sandbar shark, hammerhead shark, moray eels, and king mackerel. So in order to avoid those predators they will stay hidden for most of their live. They also develop unique ability which allows them to change the color of their body which will surely give them a lot of advantage when hiding. The color change can also be done very fast so their body will match with the color of the environment where they currently hiding. This change is also done by the change on their mood. When they get attacked by the predators, they will go into holes that cannot be reached by those predators. Then they will quickly change the color of their body for camouflage.

There will be large grouper fish population increase when it time for their reproduction time which happen in the winter season at the full moon. This also caused by the sudden change on their behavior as they usually hide but then coming out in this reproduction time. Then they will form very large school in this reproduction time which sometimes can even reach 100,000 amounts of grouper fish in one school. This method is done so they can increase their population by increasing the success probability of their mating. Then when the spawn is done by large amount of grouper fish at once, this also means that the survival chance for their spawn will also increase which in the end will also increase their population.

This is important as the female grouper fish population will only spawn one time in a year period. This may be another problem if they are not protogynous hermaphrodite. However since they have this unique behavior, then this would not really affect their population. But if you take note only on the juvenile state of the grouper fish, then you will notice that most of the population will consist of female. This is understandable as they can later transform into male grouper once they grow larger. The female grouper fish will spawn one or two time before they might transform into male grouper. This is also happen when the male population decrease significantly which makes them have to transform.

Actually the grouper population itself plays very important role in the reef population where they reside. Enough grouper population will ensure that other sea fish would not go in rage and it will also control several other fish population so it would not get too overpopulate the area. This is why it is important to study grouper fish population statistic well if you want to know more about the important of their role in the other fish population. And it is also important to ensure that their population to stay stabile.