The key difference between gag and black grouper is that gag is a species of marine ray-finned fish predominately found in the Western Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern United States to Brazil, while black grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish predominately found in warmer parts of the West Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Ray-finned fish is a clade (class or sub-class) of bony fishes. The members of this class are known as ray-finned fishes. They comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Gag
3. What is a Black Grouper
4. Similarities – Gag and Black Grouper
5. Gag vs Black Grouper in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Gag vs Black Grouper
What is Gag?
Gag is a species of marine ray-finned fish that is predominately found in the Western Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern United States to Brazil. The scientific name of this marine fish species is Mycteroperca microlepis. It is a drab mottled gray fish lacking distinguishing features of most other groupers. This species has a robust oblong body that is laterally compressed. The depth of the body is less than the length of the head. The depth is roughly equal in depth at the origin of the dorsal fin and at the anal fin origin. The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 16 to 18 soft rays, while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 10 to 12 soft rays.
Figure 01: Gag
Juveniles and adults gag species have different habitat preferences. The juveniles are found in estuaries and beds of the seagrass. On the other hand, the adults are found farther offshore over rocky substrates at the depths of 10 to 40 meters and have been recorded as deep as 152 metres. There have been reports of ciguatera poisoning among humans following the consumption of the flesh of Gag species. This species is threatened by and is vulnerable to overfishing. Therefore, Mexico and the United States have already introduced conservation measures.
What is Black Grouper?
Black grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish predominately found in warmer parts of the West Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The scientific name of this species is Mycteroperca bonaci. It has an oblong and laterally compressed body. Its body has a standard length of 3.3 to 3.5 times its depth. Moreover, it has an evenly rounded preopercle with no incisions or lobes at its angle. The dorsal fin contains 11 spines and 15 to 17 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 11 to 13 soft rays. Both fins have rounded margins.
Figure 02: Black Grouper
Black grouper is a solitary species that lives over rocky bottoms and coral reefs at a depth of 10 to 30 metres. However, in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, this species is usually encountered at depths of more than 30 metres. Furthermore, the recorded predators of Black grouper include sanbar shark, great hammerhead, great barracuda, and moray eels. Black groupers are host to a variety of common parasites, including endoparasites, which affect the stomach and intestine, and ectoparasites, which live on the skin.
What are the Similarities Between Gag and Black Grouper?
- Gag and black grouper are two species of the clade of ray fined fish.
- Both species belong to the subfamily Epinephelinae, which is a part of the family Serranidae.
- Both species have an oblong and laterally compressed body.
- They are threatened and endangered species.
- They are fished for human consumption.
What is the Difference Between Gag and Black Grouper?
Gag is a species of marine ray-finned fish found predominately in the Western Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern United States to Brazil, while black grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish predominately found in warmer parts of the West Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. So, this is the key difference between gag and black grouper. The scientific name of gag is Mycteroperca microlepis, while the scientific name of the black grouper is Mycteroperca bonaci.
The below infographic presents the differences between gag and black grouper in tabular form for side by side comparison.
Summary – Gag vs Black Grouper
Gag and black grouper are two species of the clade of ray fined fish. Gag is predominately found in the Western Atlantic Ocean from the northeastern United States to Brazil, while black grouper is predominately found in warmer parts of the West Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. Thus, this is the key difference between gag and black grouper.
Reference:
1. Fisheries, NOAA. “Black Grouper.” NOAA, 7 July 2020.
2. “Mycteroperca Microlepis.” Florida Museum, 12 May 2017.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Mycteroperca Microlepis” By T. Potts – National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Black grouper2” By Albert kok – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia