These little groupers are quite rare in Hawai'i at deeper scuba depths and normally shy away from cameras. They feed upon zooplankton at current-swept ledges, pinnacles and wrecks.
Males maintain harems of smaller, somewhat less-colorful females.
Several other large groupers were released but fortunately none became established. There are three native species recorded form our waters. Several Jewfish weighing hundreds of pounds have been caught, but none have been reported recently, therefore the population may have been wiped out. The Hawaiian Grouper Hapu'upu'u is a deepwater endemic caught while bottom fishing. It may be seen by divers at Midway along with the colorful Schlegel's Grouper.