GrrlScientist is an evolutionary biologist, ornithologist, aviculturist, birder and freelance science and nature writer. A native of the Pacific Northwest, she relocated from Seattle to NYC with her parrots after earning a BS in Microbiology (emphasis in Virology) and PhD in Zoology (Ornithology) from the University of Washington. In NYC, she was the Chapman Postdoctoral Fellow at the American Museum of Natural History for two years, pursuing part of her "dream" research project by reconstructing a molecular phylogeny of the parrots of the South Pacific islands. GrrlScientist and her five parrots are currently relocating to Germany, where she will continue writing her blog while also writing a book and learning German. (Meanwhile, her parrots will continue to nibble on her extensive personal library.) If you appreciate GrrlScientist's writing, you can help pay her living expenses by hiring her to "blog" your conference, speak at your club or write articles for your publication (or by clicking on the Paypal button below). If you read an essay on this blog that you especially enjoyed, please nominate it for inclusion in 
tags: Photographer and Goliath Grouper, Nature's Best Photography, underwater photography, Florida, image of the day
Photographer and Goliath Grouper, Epinephelus itajara.
Image: Michael Patrick ONeill/MSNBC Nature's Best Photography 2008 [larger view].
Photographer comment:
The Goliath grouper is a large predator found in Atlantic, Caribbean, and eastern Pacific reefs. Reaching eight feet in length and weighing up to 800 pounds, it feeds on fish, stingrays, lobster, and even small sea turtles. The ocean off Jupiter, Florida, is a great place to photograph Goliath groupers. They tend to gather near old shipwrecks and around rocky ledges.
Photo information: 10.5mm lens; 1/125 sec at f/6.3; digital capture at ISO 100, Aquatica underwater housing; 2 Inon Z-220s strobes.
Life Science
Environment
Comments
/blushes
I thought his leg was in that grouper's mouth.
Posted by: Carol | November 11, 2008 6:41 PM
Looks like the pacific goliath grouper is a previously unrecognized separate species from the athlantic species.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/08/080821110125.htm
Posted by: Jim Thomerson | November 11, 2008 7:36 PM
Not to be confused with Goliath groupies, aka Philistines....
Posted by: Ian | November 12, 2008 8:03 AM
That is amazing picture. It's hard to believe that the Goliath grouper is in the same family with the sea bass. there is a huge size deferential between these species. What is the Goliath grouper's closest relative? Is it as big as it? What is its predator?
Posted by: Justin | November 12, 2008 9:31 AM
And notice how all those littler fish are carefully staying behind that big mouth.... ;-)
Posted by: David Harmon | November 12, 2008 5:16 PM
Interesting why are there so many fish around the grouper, is it because they are small and using it as a kind of protector ?
Posted by: Makarios | November 13, 2008 8:31 PM