Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Nassau grouper

Epinephelus striatus · Also called: Mero cherna, cherna

Protection: Threatened under the US Endangered Species Act; harvest and possession banned in US waters.[1]

Facts

  • Light beige with five dark brown bars, a big black saddle spot just before the tail and a tuning-fork mark on top of the head. It can change shade in minutes.[1]
  • Gathers in spawning groups, sometimes thousands, from November to February around the full moon.[1]
  • Critical habitat includes waters off Puerto Rico.[1]
  • DRNA also bans fishing, keeping, selling or pursuing it; any caught must go back to the sea.[2]

Where it's been reported (2)

From the sources on each dive site's page. Sightings are never guaranteed.

  • Old Buoy · Guánica & La Parguera“106 fish species recorded; juvenile Nassau grouper; adult cubera, mutton and dog snappers previously reported — 2017” (Puerto Rico DRNA / NOAA CRCP)
  • Star · Guánica & La Parguera“Nassau grouper, lionfish, southern stingrays, nurse sharks, yellowfin goatfish” (Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center)

Sources

  1. Nassau Grouper · NOAA Fisheries (accessed 2026-10-22)
  2. Reglamento de Pesca de Puerto Rico - 2010 (Reglamento Núm. 7949), Art. 4, 8, 14 and 22 · Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA) (accessed 2026-10-22)

Last checked 2026-10-22