Myctoperca bonaci has an oblong, laterally compressed body[3] with a standard length which is 3.3 to 3.5 times its depth.

[4] This species has an overall t's an olive grey colour and is marked with dark blotches and brassy hexagonal spots over the head and flanks.

They are monandric protogynous hermaphrodites and form spawning aggregations which have been reported from in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea.

[5] Black groupers are hosts to a variety of common parasites which include endoparasites affecting stomach and intestines and ectoparasites which live on its skin.

[1] Mycteroperca bonaci is an IUCN Red List near threatened species, vulnerable to increases in exploitation because it is a relatively slow breeder.