Mero mero, in the store... How I wonder....

Jane J., you have got to be the ultimate cool girl: A Canadian beauty who knows how to make "pecao con coco" y moro de guandules.

Co?o, mujer derrrr diablo, tu mar?o si tiene suerte!

Joseito
Give me continence or give me death, but not just yet

Jane J. said:

[OT] I bought the grouper for my husband's birthday (CAD$25 for two fillets!!!!!!!) and did it "con coco", with tostones, a moro de guandules, and aguacate... Estaba de rico![/OT]

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This sounds so good Jane, I love coco, w/ love to have that recipe.

I always thought mero was grouper - I used to eat it all the time in Madrid, it's very popular there.

I'm just as confused as you are...

perhaps someone can enlighten us.

Sea bass is a type of grouper. there are over 200 species of grouper found in the sea world wide.
Real Sea bass is found of the Pacific coast of the US.

Shops and Supermarkets that sell fish have been using different names for fish for years. The Sea Bass you buy in a store in New York is typically a Black grouper fished out of the Gulf of Mexico. Chilean Sea bass is really a Rock Grouper.
Mahi-Mahi is Dolphin(Dorado)
Ever heard of Jesus Fish? It is Really Tillapia.
Anybody want to know what you are really eating when you order Scallops?

The problem with Spanish is that they tend to lump them all together.
Black grouper, Warsaw grouper, Jewfish, Rock hind...They call them all Mero.
Red Snapper, Grey Snapper, Mangrove Snapper, grunts...They call them All Trucha.

Jane J. said:

but I'm always willing to learn more, dare I say it, just for the halibut.

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That last comment gave me a haddock and caused me to eel over and hit my head. Then I went to see a Sturgen but he said I was ok. Only problem I had was a Case of the Crabs.

Not to confuse you even more But groupers are a member of the Sea bass Family. Lineaus was a Ass!

Jane J. said:

A ass?

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yes

the guy who came up with the modern system of wildlife classification.

wooosh....

And he proudly claims UNPHU and the University of Miami.

Joseito
A american

Groupers, Sea Basses & Flagtails

Tony C is quite correct in lumping all of the above fish into one identifiable group arrangement of the species and in stating that there are numerous types of Grouper worldwide.
All fish in this group have alternative local names eg. in the Middle East a Grouper is called Hamour.
This group is a diverse group with typical perciform features such as thoracic pelvic fins, each consisting of 1 spine and 5 rays, heavy rough scales, a well developed spiny dorsal fin and the pectoral fin bases set well up on the side of the body and nearly vertical.
Here's a few examples:
Warsaw Grouper (Black Jewfish) - large fish, deep water, good sport and table fish. Distribution: Western Atlantic, from South Carolina, West Indies to Brazil. Also Eastern Pacific.
Nassua Grouper (Hamlet)- hard fighting sport fish, good eating. Changes colour 8 times through its life. Distribution: as above with related forms in Indo-Pacific waters.
Dusky Perch (Giant Rock Cod, Grouper, Merou) - normally solitary, good sport and eating. Distribution: Eastern Atlantic from UK to South Africa, Mediterranean.
Red Grouper - Perchlike, good eating, good sport but not a fighter. Distribution: Western Atlantic coasts from Virginia to Rio.
Queensland Grouper (Rock Cod, Brindle Bass, Garrupa, Giant Sea Perch) - Good table fish when small, large fish tend to have coarse and rank flesh. Distribution: Africa to Australia, Indo-Pacific regions.
Tiger Grouper - high class table fish. Distribution: Western Atlantic, ranging from the Carolinas, West Indies to Brazil.
Scamp (Bacalao, Abadejo) - Appreciated game fish and important food fish in the West Indies. Distribution: West Indian seas and Florida.
Mahata (True Bass) - No value to commercial fisheries. Distribution: Western Pacific, Japanese waters.
Black Grouper (Marbled Rockfish, Bonaci Acara, Aguaji, Rockfish) - Excellent eating and sport fishing. Adults prefer deep water (200m). Distribution: Tropical Western Atlantic, Caribbean, Bahamas, West Indies.
yellowmouth Grouper (Salmon Rockfish) - Good table fish. A reef species. Distribution: Occassionally found in Bermuda, Bahamas & West Indies.
Yellowfin Grouper (Red Rockfish, Monkey Rockfish) - Important sport fish. Good eating but sometimes said to be poisonous in the West Indies. Distribution: Western Atlantic.
Red Hind (Hind) - Common in West Indies. Excellent table fish. Distribution: Western Atlantic, Florida, West Indies to Brazil. Related forms Indo-Pacific.
AND on and on and on ..................

Gag (Aguaji) - Southern Western Atlantic
Rock Cod (Slimy Cod, Greasy Cod, Bullnosed Rock Cod, Estuary Rock Cod). Indo-Pacific.
Rock Hind (Ascension Island Rock Cod) - Atlantic, Florida to West Indies to Brazil. South Africa & Indo-Pacific.
Cabrilla (Kelp Bass, Sand Bass, Rock Bass, Johnny Verde, Calico Bass) - Californian Coast.
Marbled Grouper - West Indies.
Jewfish (Spotted Jewfish) - Western Atlantic, Florida, west Indies, South America, Indo-Pacific.
Califrnia Black Sea Bass (Giant Bass, California Jewfish) - NE Pacific.
White Bass (Silver Bass) - US lake fish.
Striped Bass (Striper, Squid Hound, Rockfish) - Canada, USA.
White Perch (Sea Perch, Perch Bass, Perche Blanche, Silver Perch) - Fresh & saltwater along US Atlantic coasts.
Yellow Bass (Gold Bass, Streaker, Black-striped Bass, Barfish, Brassy Bass) - Lower Mississippi.
Bass (European) - Atlantic North Coast.
Sea Bass (Black Sea Bass, Common Sea Bass, Humpback) - Western Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico.
Wreckfish (Chern, Cernier, Stone Bass, Bafaro) - Both sides Atlantic.
Hapuka - Indo-Pacific.
Coney - Western Atlantic, Florida, Bermuda, West Indies, Brazil.
Golden Perch (Murray Perch, Perch, Yellowbelly, Callop) - Australia.
Harlequin Bass - Western Atlantic, Bermuda, Bahamas, Florida to Brazil.
Estuary Perch (Bass in Australia) - australia.
Lunar-Tailed Rock Cod - Indo-Pacific.
Rock Flagtail (Perch, Flagfish) - Indo-Pacific.
Pacific Flagtail - Western & Central Pacific.
Comber - North Atlantic to Indo-Pacific.

AND NOW YOU ALL KNOW WHAT A BORING OLD FISHING FART I AM???
Peter (Alex wants nothing to do with this post)

Jane J. said:

Simple question: In the DR, if I order mero in a restaurant, what will they bring me?

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Grouper, aka sea bass. Keep in mind while enjoying the meal that this is one of the fish implicated in cases of ciguatera

"Species of fish most frequently implicated include groupers, amberjack, red snappers, eel, sea bass, barracuda, and Spanish mackerel. Fish larger than 2 kg contain significant amounts of toxin and readily produce toxic effects when ingested."

Ken is quite correct - you will be served Grouper, which is a predatory fish living off the little fishes and other things which eat at the coral buffet. These little fish have the toxins which if the grouper eats enough of them he will then build up a greater store of the bad stuff and we humans suffer the consequences!
Secret? Eat only the little groupers as they have not had time to consume enough little fishes to build up a suffficient store of toxins to affect you.
In general the mid size fish are better eating anyway!

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