Saltwater · Year-round in deep water; deep-drop fisheries work it through the year
Misty Grouper
Hyporthodus mystacinus
A giant deep-water grouper and the only Caribbean grouper with regular dark bars — 8 to 9 of them — plus a blackish 'moustache' streak on its cheek; adults patrol rocky slope bottoms at 100-400 m and dominate the deep-water fisheries of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.
Seasons · Peak
Identifying features
- 8-9 regular dark vertical bars across the body and rear fins — unique among Caribbean groupers
- A prominent blackish-brown maxillary streak ('moustache') running along the cheek
- Rear nostrils enormously enlarged, at least four times the front ones
- Adults plain brownish with indistinct bars; juveniles boldly barred in tan and dark brown
- Very large size — to 160 cm and over 100 kg
Habits
- Solitary on deep rocky bottoms; adults mostly at 100-400 m
- Feeds on fishes, crustaceans and squids
- Documented to 470 m by deep-sea landers in the Bahamas and Cayman Islands (2024)
- The dominant grouper of the USVI deep-water fishery and important in Puerto Rico
Distribution
Where to find them
- Slope ledges at 200-400 m off island coasts
- Continental shelf-edge rocky bottom
- Deep structure shared with snowy grouper and tilefish
Where they live
How to catch them
Electric-reel deep-drop fishing Boat
Rig: Electric reel, 65-80 lb braid, multi-hook deep-drop rig with 7/0-9/0 circle hooks, 150-200 lb mono and 3-5 lb lead
Bait/lure: Cut mullet, bonito strips or whole squid
Key tip: Drift rocky slope bottom at 200-400 m; misty grouper is a mainstay of Caribbean deep-drop grounds — keep baits on bottom and wind steadily once hooked.
Live-bait deep dropping Boat
Rig: Stout conventional or electric reel, single-hook fish-finder rig with a large circle hook and heavy sash weight
Bait/lure: Live grunts or pinfish
Key tip: Where current allows, a live bait dropped to deep ledges draws the biggest fish; use heavy gear — hooked misties run for the rocks.
Best baits & lures
Baseline setup
- Rod: Deep-drop bent-butt rod or heavy stand-up rod
- Line: 65-80 lb braid with 150-200 lb mono rigs
- Terminal: 7/0-9/0 circle hooks, 3-5 lb sash weights, deep-drop lights and swivels
Recommended gear for this species
Rod · Best value
7'6" medium-heavy jigging rod
≈ US$110-170
Works 2-6 oz jigs over rock and reef and still has the backbone to lift a halibut off the bottom.
Line · Budget
50 lb braid with 40 lb leader (200 yd)
≈ US$25-40
Thin braid cuts the current so jigs stay vertical; the leader shrugs off rock and teeth.
Terminal · Budget
Leadhead jigs, swimbaits and two-hook bottom rigs
≈ US$25-40
A leadhead with a swimbait tail is the universal bottom-fish catcher, from rockfish to cod to flounder.
Picks are never paid placements. Prices are guides; price links are coming soon and none is an affiliate link yet.
Typical size
Common 80-114 cm; maximum 160 cm TL and 107 kg
On the table
Good food fish where landed by deep-drop fisheries; very large old fish warrant local ciguatera and mercury caution — check local advice.
Similar species
Snowy GrouperSnowy grouper is covered in white snowflake spots and lacks regular bars; misty grouper has 8-9 regular dark bars and a cheek moustache streak
Marble GrouperMarble grouper is black with big white blotches on shallower ledges (to 213 m, cave-dwelling); misty grouper is barred brown and lives deeperRegulations vary by area and can change in-season — always check the official rules for your area before you fish. Regulations guide →
Plan a trip for Misty Grouper
Build today's plan⚠ Heads-up: Misty Grouper doesn't occur around Vancouver, BC (or is very rare there), so it's not a sensible local target. Your plan stays in Vancouver, BC and is built around the fish that actually live there.