maximum total length of although is a more common length, and the maximum published weight attained is . Distribution Mycteroperca microlepis is found in the western Atlantic Ocean where it has a disjunct distribution. The northern population is found around Bermuda and along the eastern coast of the United States from North Carolina south to Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico but it is largely absent from Cuba, apart from one record of a vagrant. The southern population is found in southern Brazil from Rio de Janeiro State to Santa Catarina State. Juveniles have been recorded in as far north as Massachusetts. Habitat and biology Mycteroperca microlepis have different habitat preferences as juveniles and adults. The juveniles are found in estuaries and beds of sea grass while the adults are found farther offshore over rocky substrates at depths of and have been recorded as deep as . Adults are occasionally recorded inshore over rock sea beds or sea grass beds. It is one of the commonest species of grouper on the eastern Gulf of Mexico. They can be found both in brackish and marine waters. The adults can be found either in groups of 5-50 fish or as solitary fish. They have been recorded producing thumping sounds when under stress, this is done by vibrating the swim bladder using muscular contractions. The adults are predators on fishes (including smaller conspecifics), crabs, shrimps, and cephalopods while the smaller juveniles prey on crustaceans within the beds of sea grass in shallow waters. The fishes preyed are largely herring, sea bream, jacks and pompanos, drums and grey mullet. This species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, all fish start life as females, attaining sexual maturity between the ages of 5 and 6 years old and having reached a total length of , they will spawn at least once and then some will change sex and become males. In the offshore waters between North Carolina and Florida during 1976-1982 the sex ration was found to favour females, with 84% of the population being female, 15% were males and 1% were in the process of sex change. However, a subsequent study discovered that proportion of males had decreased to around 5.5%, fishing pressures which is concentrated on large males being the probable cause of this result. Although the sex change can occur as early as 5 years old it is more typical for it to take place at 10