Two species of Goliath Groupers, not one.

[DavidPT40]

I just read an article on Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology that there are two species of Goliath Grouper, not one. One lives in the Pacific, the other in the Atlantic. However, they look identical. Is the Pacific Goliath Grouper the same as the Giant Seabass?

 

[Gombessa]

I just read an article on Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology that there are two species of Goliath Grouper, not one. One lives in the Pacific, the other in the Atlantic. However, they look identical. Is the Pacific Goliath Grouper the same as the Giant Seabass?

Interesting article. Although there's been quite a bit of cross-talk between goliath grouper/giant sea bass/jewfish, I believe they're wholly distinct (they don't even look alike). According to google, the two grouper species discussed are in in family serranidae, the giant sea bass is polyprionidae (fyi, my spicy latin background tells me that means many prionidae). Also, I've had the misfortune of being eaten by both the sea bass and the Atlantic goliath grouper, and it feels very different.

 

[drbill]

I've seen and filmed both (but never been swallowed by either). Gombessa is correct that the giant sea bass (Stereolepis gigas) on our coast is currently placed in the "unrelated" (we're all one) family of the wreck fishes, Polyprionidae.