Speckled hind
The speckled hind ("Epinephelus drummondhayi"), also known as the calico grouper, kitty mitchell or strawberry grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in Bermuda and off eastern coast of North America. Its natural habitats are open seas, shallow seas, subtidal aquatic beds, and coral reefs. It is threatened by habitat loss. Description. The speckled hind has a body which is robust, compressed and is deepest at the origin of the dorsal fin , its standard length is 2.4 to 2.6 times its depth and is equal to the length of the head. The maxilla is exposed when the mouth is closed. The margin of the gill cover bears three flat spines.= while the preopercle is serrated with enlarged spines at its angle. The dorsal fin has 11 spines and 14-16 soft rays while the anal fin contains 3 spines and 9 soft rays. The membrane of the dorsal fin has deep indentations between the spines. The caudal fin is rounded with acutely angled corners. There are 72-76 scales in the lateral  line. The background colour of the head and body is dark reddish brown to grey, but it is densely speckled with tiny white spots, these sometimes merge to form a network pattern in larger individuals, the outer part of the pectoral fin is yellowish. The juveniles are bright yellow and are covered in small blue-white spots. This species attains a total length of and a maximum weight of . Distribution. The speckled hind is found in the western Atlantic Ocean where it occurs around Bermuda as well as on the eastern cost of the United States where it is found  as far north as North Carolina extending south to the Florida Keys and into the Gulf of Mexico as far east as Louisiana, it also occurs off the Yucatan Peninsula. It does not appear to be present in the Bahamas or the Greater Antilles. Habitat and biology. Speckled hind adults are found on offshore areas with rocky substrates at depths of