Calling in Grouper.......

[neil burnie]

Out on the reef the other day and a Big Black Grouper about 60-70lbs swam under me , not scared, and swam out onto the sand......I took a good breath, swam down to the reef, got low and called to him with 2-3 grouper grunts
and I swear that he swam right to me...so close that I was convinced I had him dead to rights, and proceeded to stick the tip of my pole spear into the hardest part of his skull, giving him a headache I'm sure but not much else!

When grouper grunt to each other, is it a threat display, or do they do it when they're scared......I often hear them "thump'' when they bolt out of a cave as you approach.

Has anyone had success at calling them in like you would a Turkey or Elk?

Bones

[Bill]

'When grouper grunt to each other, is it a threat display, or do they do it when they're scared'
Anything is possible of course but you have to be very careful when you assign an animal with a single digit IQ any reasoning power. Heck young human males are barely capable of choosing between their two modes (horny and hungry) and some of them have IQ's over room temperature, Fahrenheit.
I think the 'thump' is cavitation of the tail.

[neil burnie]

Bill, good call on the cavitation...BUT have you seen the Manny Puig video
ULTIMATE PREDATOR....he's got a section on the Goliath Groupers and you can see the fish Pulsate as it makes a Thump sound, presumably from the swim bladder....

Bones

[Marwan]

wow ive never heard of that before, in many years hunting/diving etc...i never hear them grunt or thump or anything..is it possible their behaviour varies by geography/grouper species?

[Bill]

Now that you mention it, I think I know another fish that does that and I wonder about some others. Thanks.

[Coral Sniper]

I hate it when I am in a murky place and I here a huge ''cavitation'' or tail thump from I dont know what!

There was one time out on the open reef were I heard one that was so huge that I felt it in my chest,Who knows what it was.


I have never heard any of our groupers make any noise.
Though they seem to like it.

Bill I am sure you have heard those little uluas grunt.

[Groupermadness]

Our Duskys make a thump sound, ive heard it on a few occasions when i have surprised them by sneaking round a rock, never have i heard them grunt though, i make a similar sound i learned from a old spearo here in Cyprus, he made it with his hand though, by basicaly grunting into the purge valve of the snorkel, the results being the fish takes defense by puffing the dorsal and side fins and standing ground, but they do dissapear when you get close with a thump and a cloud of sand. one thing i did pick up was if when on the surface one swam by a quick oi down the snorkel and they turn and face you, a good thing to track them to the cave.

Peter.

[cdavis]

Interesting thread. I never considered the possibility that some groupers might not "thump", "grunt", "boom" whatever. In this part of the world, they are noisy. Some of the booms are tail cavitation. A big one taking off close can shake your teeth. Smaller thumps are, I think, something else. Pretty sure they make at least some of those noises voluntarily.

Grouper are very curious. You can call them in pretty easy if they have not been shoot at a whole lot. What seems to work best is something that sounds sort of like their noises. When diving in coral heads with a huge amount of holes and other cover, we will "shoot a rock" with our slings. The resulting low frequency thump will draw grouper out of their holes to see what is going on (also draws sharks). I've tried all sorts of other noises, but that one seems to work best.

You guys from the Med are probably out of luck on this one, your fish have been shoot at way too much for way too long.

Connor

[icarus pacific]

Originally Posted by Bill

'When grouper grunt to each other, is it a threat display, or do they do it when they're scared'
Anything is possible of course but you have to be very careful when you assign an animal with a single digit IQ any reasoning power. Heck young human males are barely capable of choosing between their two modes (horny and hungry) and some of them have IQ's over room temperature, Fahrenheit.
I think the 'thump' is cavitation of the tail.

Nothing like a little self reflection, eh? Jeez, I've missed you, Bill! How's the crew and self?

[neil burnie]

Another fish in Bermuda that definitely ''Grunts'' is the Steelhead Jack.....don't know the scientific name.....These guys keep it up after you get them in the boat when you're rod and line fishing. I spooked a school the other day and they were quite '' vocal '' about it!

Bones

[settingsteel]

Miami Groupers are quite vocal, the thump from the swim bladder is both distress and territorial in nature...plenty of them sound off when shot and many (of the small illegal ones) will thump when you get close to their hole...I've used the thumping sound (squeeze throat muscles, as you swallow air) to attract both groupers and other fish...IMO it has its applications.

[jtkwest]

i thoght only goliaths did that thumping thing.anyway, i saw a show once and they said that they,(goliaths) do it to stun bait fish and disorient them in order to feed. but i have had them do it to me in a unmistakable "warning", i was spearing in the mangroves one day with a friend and i came face to face with a 150 lb goliath, who thumped at me from about 12 inches from my face, and freaked me out a little. also, it seems to come from their "throat", not "tail cavitation" i have seen a black grouper make bumping sounds once, but it was a large one,(100#. or so)(incidently, i was snorkeling in a preserve"looe key" at the time , so i didnt get the black), so my theory is, they develop the ability as they get bigger, and i suspect all large groupers can do it . But these are both only theories, i dont know for sure.

[settingsteel]

Small ones (20") thump too...btw dude nice gun....been working on a few myself, with Ipe track...can't seem to find anything 1"x1" thats acceptably straight

[neil burnie]

OK, Thanks for the replies, seems that using the ''Grouper Call '' may be a good idea when swimming past caves as the bigger guys who are hanging back inside may want to come out and see who's new in the neighbourhood.
Now, here's the next thought....How many of you have had Hogfish come and say hello when you're noosing spiny lobsters.....The ratchet like serrations at the base of the antenna are used to make a clicking sound, and I think that's the noise that the hoggies like, SO ,which enterprising diver is going to make a hand held copy of the antenna to be used when hunting? I've swum the reef tweaking a live lobster but then you have to get him back in the bag when the fish shows up...if you had a Hogfish Call
on a string on your wrist you could just let it drop and take the shot....

Bones

[settingsteel]

Hmmm you may be on to something here...you sure its the sound or the commotion of spearo with wrestling lobster...plenty of times I've been snagging bugs and have had quite a few visits from assorted fish.