Hawaiian Sea Bass

Availability & Seasonality

The largest landings of hapu‘upu‘u usually occur in the fall and winter (October-December) and in the spring (February-April). The majority of the hapu‘upu‘u catch in recent years has come from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Most of the hapu‘upu‘u caught off the main Hawaiian Islands are from 5 to 10 pounds in size, whereas the waters around the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands yields fish mostly in the 10 to 30 pound size range

Product Forms & Yields

Most of the hapu‘upu‘u is landed as whole, iced fish. The fish is initially sold head-on so that buyers can assess product quality by the clarity of the eyes and the color of the gills. The ethnic and household retail market components have a strong preference for smaller fish (1 to 5 pounds in round weight) that can be steamed head-on. The larger-sized fish harvested in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands are filleted for the restaurant market. Although the skin is tough, the flesh is easy to fillet due to the lack of small bones. However, the waste factor is higher for hapu‘upu‘u, due to its large head, than for substitute species, and the lower yield (40% of round weight) has discouraged wider use by restaurants.

Shelf Life & Quality Control

Hapu‘upu‘u keeps well (2 weeks) when properly brined and iced after capture. The only quality problem which may arise is the occasional presence of saclike parasites in hapu‘upu‘u flesh. The sac may be cut out of the flesh and is harmless if eaten.

Recorded to at least 8 pounds, but individuals weighing more than one pound are now rather uncommon, and a 3- or 4-pounder is a rare giant. World record 9 pounds, 8 ounces;

Black Sea Bass, Blackfish, Talywag, Shapon, Hapu’ upu’ u, Hawaiian Grouper, Hapu’ u, Hawaiian Sea Bass, Merou (French), Hapuupuu, Seale’s Grouper, Mahata (

Widely at home, both offshore and inshore. Likes rocky areas, wrecks, channels with hard bottom, jetties, deep holes in grass flats. Larger fish now stay mostly well offshore. Commonly found around rock jetties and on rocky bottoms in shallow water.

Hapu‘upu‘u (Epinephelus quernus), commonly called grouper or sea bass, is only known to occur in the Hawaiian Islands and at seamounts just northwest of Hawaii. Members of the grouper fish family are able to change skin colors to blend into their natural habitat, and the hapu‘upu‘u is no exception. Most hapu‘upu‘u seen in the market are black, but fish captured in certain locations may be brownish or reddish. Hapu‘upu‘u is a deep water bottomfish usually caught at between 50 and 150 fathoms. In general, larger fish are caught at greater depths. Color is generally black or charcoal, with blue highlights and tiny white spots or stripes on dorsal fin. Indistinct pattern sometimes present on sides, especially in small fish. In adults, the dorsal, anal and caudal fins may have feathery edges, and large males show a distinctive hump forward of the dorsal.

Summary of Distribution: Western Atlantic: Canada to Maine to northeastern Florida in USA and eastern Gulf of Mexico; reaches extreme southern Florida during cold winters.
Note: Distribution range colors indicate degree of suitability of habitat which can be interpreted as probabilities of occurrence (fishbase.org)

	Gill nets Gill-nets are the dominant gear in the Indian Ocean. Gill-nets are used in artisanal and semi-industrial fisheries, contributing to 30-40% of the total catch. The net design is comprised of continuous panels of uniform mesh size, aimed to trap fish behind the gills. The International Sustainable Seafood Foundation (ISSF) notes that rates of sharks and turtle by-catch in Indian Ocean gill-net fisheries are high..
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Light spinning and baitcasting tackle are the best choices. Sea Bass greedily hit live or dead shrimp and all sorts of cut baits, along with live small baitfish and artificial jigs and underwater plugs. They seem to be always hungry and willing to strike nearly anything they can grab.