# Worms in Red Grouper.....



## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

out of the hundreds of fish I've caught I've seen some weird stuff but it seems like about 1 in 8 red grouper I catch has worms. I've never seen them on any other fish and it seems like the bigger the fish the more there are. Any one else notice this? Some people say you can cook them inside the fillet and eat them but that's just not going to happen with me. 
Also want to know why red grouper prefer different habitat than most other grouper. I always catch them on my red snapper holes where I rarely catch another grouper species. Do they not stay in holes like other grouper? And is there a reason they get worms more often then other fish?


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## kelly1 (Oct 1, 2007)

See,em alot in specks. Not harmful, but they look nasty and you kinda lose your appetite for fish. I see them mostly in the fish in the summer months than anything. When I fish the winter months I see less of the them in the fish. Just gotta look past the worms when you eat the fish.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

The last red grouper I caught had ones the size of a maggot and about 15 of them all throughout the meat. Can't pay me to eat one, just sucks throwing out a nice grouper.


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## CatHunter (Dec 31, 2008)

iv seen worms in reds for years pretty tasty little things when u fry them they taste just like fish.


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

But do you know why they prefer red grouper and sea trout?


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## helo_hunter (Oct 2, 2007)

Lots of fish have worms and the bigger the fish, the more worms. I've found lots of worms in amberjack and wahoo, just to name two species.


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## Bonsaifishrman (Mar 17, 2009)

Keep looking for them, you are going to find them. I wonder how many I ate at local fish restaurants?


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## bigrick (Sep 29, 2010)

helo_hunter said:


> Lots of fish have worms and the bigger the fish, the more worms. I've found lots of worms in amberjack and wahoo, just to name two species.


 
I've seen them in amberjack too, just not as often as red grouper.


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## sniper (Oct 3, 2007)

bigrick said:


> The last red grouper I caught had ones the size of a maggot and about 15 of them all throughout the meat. Can't pay me to eat one, just sucks throwing out a nice grouper.


Don't throw them out. I am sure there are a ton of people that would glady take them from you. If I lived over your way I would take every Red Grouper you get with worms. They won't hurt you and you can pull em out easy enough. No sense wasting the fish. Check around and see who will take em off your hands.


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## PCfisher66 (Oct 13, 2010)

When I've cleaned AJ's with them, I just pull the worms out that I see, if I don't see them they're not there.

Tod


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## Fairwaterfishing (Mar 17, 2009)

RPG is the charter boat term for red grouper over here. " Red Puss Grouper"


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## MikeG (Oct 5, 2007)

http://seafood.ucdavis.edu/Pubs/parasite.htm


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## CallMeEddie (Nov 25, 2010)

Black drum, swordfish, redfish, all kinds of grouper, and just about any large species are susceptible to worms- especially larger, older fish. This is why you should throw back huge black drum and bull reds. If its just the occasional worm you find, just cut it out and enjoy. Theyre not harmful and wont ruin the meat.


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## snapperfan (Aug 30, 2009)

It's all protein. Cook it up and eat it. Don't waste the fish.


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## BBob (Sep 27, 2007)

I have eaten "wormed" fish for decades. They are easily removed if you are going to broil or bake the fish and you worried about someone a little squeamish eating it. If it is fried or on a sandwich they will never know. You most likely have eaten the worms and did not realize it. If the meat is cooked it is just extra protein. 
But then again I have eaten (and enjoyed) sushi, raw oysters, raw clams, rare beef, and a occasional ant, grub, or grasshopper. It just depends on how picky one's palate is.


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## SHunter (Jun 19, 2009)

I've seen Amberjack just full of them. Parasites are worse in a fish with a weakened immune system.


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