Fish ID?

[herbdb]

This guy hides under a wreck just off Capt Don's on Bonaire. I have lots of good closeups of his head, but this is the best I have that shows the full body. Looks like a grouper, but I can't find anything with this spot pattern. Can anyone help?

 

[redacted]

I suspect it is a Graysby.

 

[cgills]

Looks to me, to be a Tiger grouper/ mycteroperca tigris.
I have seen them change their spot pattern when involved in various activities,such as mating, and when they are parked at cleaning stations, as this one is..

Cindy

 

[deborahdelamar]

Way too large to be a Graysby. No faint lines on the body or obvious/oversize canine teeth like the Tiger. Without more: Yellowmouth but I'm not calling that an absolutely positive ID.

 

[Scuba Monkey]

I agree with cgills - it's a tiger grouper. It definitely has the protruding canines, and the bands can fade on older fish.

 

[craracer]

It's hard to see either the striping or spots on the back. Tough to call.

 

[designbysue]

By God I think I have a picture of the exact same fish! - Looks like the same white spots on his head and lip. And yes this was in Bonaire, near Captain Dons. Here you can see the stripes.

 

[herbdb]

Great!! You nailed it. Thanks a lot.

 

[designbysue]

That is sooooo cool. I thought he looked familiar. With the thousands of pics I have taken this is a first to find the same fish - now I know we take pics of the same fishes many times, but obviously rare that we "meet"