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Island Grouper

Island Grouper

Mycteroperca fusca

640x427-island-grouper.jpg

Protected Status

ESA Threatened - Foreign
Throughout Its Range

Quick Facts

Weight
Up to 17 pounds
Length
Up to 34 inches
Lifespan
30 to 40 years
Threats
Overfishing
Region
Foreign
island_grouper.jpg World map providing approximate representation of the island grouper's range.

World map providing approximate representation of the island grouper's range.

About the Species

The island grouper is a shallow water fish that is found off the Canary Islands, Madeira Island,  the Azores, and the Cape Verde Islands. The island grouper is listed as threatened throughout its range under the Endangered Species Act.

Where They Live

The island grouper is  a subtropical, demersal species that is endemic to volcanic archipelagos of Macaronesia: Canary (Spain), Madeira and Azores (Portugal), and Cape Verde.  This species is characterized as having both a restricted geographic range (i.e., less than 800,000 km2) and a narrow depth range (i.e., < 30 m).  The island grouper is found predominantly near rocky or sandy-rocky sea-beds.

Island grouper range map World map providing approximate representation of Island grouper's location

Scientific Classification

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Actinopterygii
Order Perciformes
Family Epinephelidae
Genus Mycteroperca
Species fusca

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 08/21/2025

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Alaska
New England/Mid-Atlantic
Pacific Islands
Southeast
West Coast
National
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Related Species

640x420-Gulf-Grouper.jpg

Gulf Grouper

Management Overview

The island grouper is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

Regulatory History

In 2013, we received a petition from WildEarth Guardians to list the island grouper as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. On February 24, 2014, we published a notice that listing may be warranted for the island grouper and nine other fish species. We published the proposed rule to list the island grouper as threatened under the ESA on September 23, 2015. We published the final rule to list the island grouper as threatened under the ESA on October 20, 2016.

Key Actions and Documents

Actions & Documents

Actions & Documents

Initiation of a 5-Year Review for the Island Grouper

5-Year Review for the Island Grouper
Information Gathering,
Foreign
Published

Final Rule To List the Island Grouper (Mycteroperca fusca) as Threatened and the Gulf Grouper (Mycteroperca jordani) as Endangered Under the

We, NOAA Fisheries, issue a final rule to list two foreign grouper species under the Endangered Species Act. We considered comments submitted on the proposed listing rule and have determined that the gulf grouper (Mycteroperca jordani) and the island grou
Final Rule,
National
Effective

More Information

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 08/21/2025

Documents

Document

Status Review for Island Grouper (Mycteroperca fusca)

This report is the status review for the island grouper. This report summarizes the best available…

International
More Documents

Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 08/21/2025