Groupers changing color???

[scuba_drum]

I never knew that groupers could change color... on Friday (diving Bonaire), I came up over a reef to find a large grouper b/t some coral - he was jet black. He was so black it caught my eye because I have only seen a few groupers that were that black. Anyway, he started swimming away almost immediately, turned white with large black stripes vertically right before my eyes. My dive buddy, although close, didn't see what I was seeing and without a slate to explain my surprise, she wouldn't have known anyway. Well, as I watched this grouper swim a little way ahead settle down into another little niche, it turned completely white with black spots. I wanted to see if it would turn any other color so I just hung out for a sec watching it and it turned completely black again while resting in its new location.
I had never even heard of groupers changing color, much less see one right before my eyes. I thought this was the coolest thing! I talked to some other divers later that evening and a few had seen groupers change color but not many! Anyway, thought someone might find this interesting, I certainly did.

 

[Charlie99]

Many fish change colors for things like

mating,
fighting/agressive/territorial warning,
hunting, particularly doing cooperative hunting with another species.

Many species also have very different color schemes for day versus nightime.

For me at least, it's things like this that make diving interesting.

Charlie Allen

 

[Cecil]

Yes they do change colors.

Tiger Grouper at the Salt Pier

A few seconds later.

 

[almitywife]

instant colour change in a fish??? now thats cool

we have gropers down here (we say groper not grouper) and they are all born female and a browish colour. one becomes the male and turns a lovely blue colour and he has a harem of chicks. when the male dies then one of the females changes to a male and blue in colour

all pretty interesting

cheers

 

[Chugger]

That sounds pretty interesting. I had no idea they were capable of doing that. Black to white seems pretty extreme. Must have been a really cool experience!

 

[LaiLaiDiver]

Scuba drum - I saw this exact same thing in Bonaire this past August! So incredible - thought I might have been narced for a minute, but of course I was in the shallows! Almost exactly as you describe it... would have to get my log book out, but location was probably around Invisibles or Red Slave? Nice to know I'm not the only one (and that I'm not crazy!)

 

[Scubakevdm]

we have gropers down here

I know, the dive naked crowd. I've heard all about them.

Groupers are color change masters though... very fast.

 

[Cecil]

In the above pictures he changed back to white after I swam by. My guess is that I scared him.

One time while snorkeling off Moorea, I saw a group of Trumpet Fish. I dove down and got a little to close for the dominant male. He turned to face me, bent his body into a S shape, and stripes appeared on his body. A perfect imitation of a sea snake.

Who knew.

 

[drbill]

Yep, I've observed the same color changes in groupers in the Caribbean and Florida. Our giant sea bass (a member of the wreckfish rather than sea bass family. I turn color quickly too... usually to a beet red when I say something stupid!

 

[scuba_drum]

I believe I saw my grouper around Tori's Reef. I thought I was nuts but when I saw it turn back to flat, dark black I knew I wasn't going crazy. Nice pics Cecil, I wish I would have had the good fortune to get the many changes on a vid or something. I'm well aware that different species change for different things, just never had a grouper (especially a large one) change for me. It was really a great thing to see and nice to know others have seen it!