The giant grouper is native to the Indian Ocean from the Red Sea to South Africa, eastward to Australia, and into the Pacific to Hawaii and Pitcairn Island. No scuba diver ever forgets an encounter with one of these true giants of the sea that can reach 900 pounds and nine feet in length. They occur chiefly in coral reef ecosystems at depths from 15 to 300 feet. They feed on other inhabitants of reef systems, including fish, small sharks, spiny lobsters and other crustaceans. For centuries, giant groupers have been an important subsistence and artisanal fishery. In many parts of their range, giant groupers have been wiped out because of cyanide and the use of explosives for fishing on reefs.