Species profile
Scamp Grouper
Mycteroperca phenax
At a glance
Scamp Grouper (Mycteroperca phenax) is an IUCN Data Deficient bony-fish species regulated in 2 of 66 jurisdictions tracked by CatchRules across the U.S. and Canada.
The strictest bag limit is 3 (Florida); the most generous is 4 (Florida).
Confirmed by 68 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with New York, Florida, and New Jersey the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Scamp are widely considered one of the finest-tasting fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
- Like all groupers, Scamp begin life as females and some later switch to male.
- They typically grow to about 29 inches and rarely exceed 30 pounds.
- Scamp prefer offshore hard-bottom habitats and are rarely found shallower than 60 feet.
- Their mottled brown coloration provides camouflage among rocks and coral rubble.
Where Scamp Grouper are seen
Jurisdictions with rules for Scamp Grouper
Background
The scamp grouper (Mycteroperca phenax) is a protogynous grouper also known as the brown grouper or abadejo. It is normally found in reef over ledges and high-relief rocky bottoms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and at low-profile bottoms at depths of 30 to 100 m in North Carolina. Juveniles can be found as far north as Massachusetts in shallow water at jetties and mangrove areas. This species was…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Scamp Grouper article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other bony fish on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.