There are great big groupers in the Atlantic and the Pacific. They look the same, so the assumption has been that they belong to the same species.

Genetics shows, though, that the Atlantic and Pacific populations actually differ substantially genetically, and so instead of having one widely-distributed endangered species, what we have is two species, both of them critically endangered.

“In light of our new findings, the Pacific goliath grouper should be treated with separate management and conservation strategies,” said WCS researcher Dr. Rachel Graham, a co-author on the study and convener of the first International Symposium on Goliath grouper which provided the impetus for this highly collaborative study.