Red hind (Epinephelus guttatus) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 1–100 m.
Scientific name: Epinephelus guttatus · Water: Saltwater
Size: up to 76 cm
The red hind is an epinephelid found in shallow reefs and rocky bottoms, occurring down to depths of at least 100 m. It is usually solitary and territorial, and it feeds mainly on crabs and other crustaceans, on fishes such as wrasses and grunts, and on octopus. Some individuals undergo sexual inversion at 28 cm total length, and most fish larger than 40 cm are males; it is a hermaphrodite species. It is easily approached by divers, is readily caught on hook and line, is easily speared and is an excellent food fish, and it is important in terms of the numbers caught and the total weight landed in the Caribbean. It is recorded from 1 to 100 m. Its range is the western Atlantic, from North Carolina to Paraíba in Brazil, and it is the most common species of its genus in the West Indies. Maximum length is about 76 cm total length, commonly about 40 cm, and it can live 22 years, maturing at about 25 cm. It is a highly commercial species and a gamefish, with a high price category. Fishing vulnerability is moderate to high at 52 of 100 and resilience medium, and climate vulnerability is very high at 88 of 100. IUCN lists it as least concern.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
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