Fishermen catch giant 50-year-old grouper in the United States

A fisherman caught a grouper weighing 159kg and was determined to be about 50 years old in southwest Florida, USA. This is the oldest fish ever caught here.

This giant fish is the Warsaw grouper . It was caught by Jason Boyll on December 29 at a depth of 180 m in the sea, according to CNN.

'Biologists from the Age and Growth Laboratory of the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI) estimate this fish to be 50, making it the oldest fish to catch. is part of our fish life research program , 'the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) said.

'This fish's ear pebbles are considered to be extremely valuable because it is taken from a rare fish, larger and older than other fish,' FWC added.

Pictures of the Boyll fish and fisherman were posted on Facebook on January 10 by the agency.

Picture 1 of Fishermen catch giant 50-year-old grouper in the United States
Fisherman Jason Boyll and Warsaw grouper weighs nearly 160kg.(Image: Facebook / FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute).

Otoliths (otoliths) are hard structures behind the bones of a fish bone. They help the fish listen, balance and orient themselves. The scientists studied the earstone structure of adult fish to estimate their age.

Adult Warsaw grouper can be up to 2.3 m long and weigh up to 260 kg. The largest Warsaw grouper record caught in Florida is nearly 200 kg.

'The Warsaw grouper is characterized by a long , second dorsal spines' , the fish conservation committee said . 'This is the only grouper with 10 dorsal fin spines instead of 11 like the others.'

'Adult grouper usually appear at a depth of 55-520 m. While grouper can be seen near the jetties and reefs in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico, ' FWC added.

The FWC says it 'discourages catching Warsaw grouper' because the number of this species in the Gulf of Mexico has not been determined.