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On The Inlet Seafood restaurant Port Douglas
is famous for its spectacular daily display
of the giant groper feeding. The
groper/grouper weighs around 250kg, and is
one of the largest fish inhabiting
Australian waters.
“George “the groper (or grouper for
residents of the United States) is a MOSTLY
permanent resident beneath the pontoon of
our restaurant. Daily at 5.30pm, one of our
staff feeds the giant groper with a fresh
fish frame. The fish frame is tied to a
rope, and the groper launches himself out of
the water in order to wrestle the frame off
the rope.
The Dickson Inlet is all saltwater,
therefore it is home to a rich biodiversity
of marine life. Pelagic species use the
Inlet for access to the large schools of
bait fish and prawns that inhabit the
protected waters of this saltwater system.
The groper has a constant supply of fresh
food, and therefore can live quite happily
under the pontoon at On The Inlet Seafood
restaurant Port Douglas.
The species name of George the Queensland
groper is Epinephelus lanceolatus. The
Queensland groper can attain sizes of up to
288 kilograms and reach lengths of 3 meters
or more. Its favorite food, when living in
estuaries, is Mud crabs! Local fishermen
often complain of crab traps being crushed
by these big hungry fish. The Queensland
groper moves in and out of the inlet in
order to breed in late October and early
November. That is why sometimes there are no
fish around and on other occasions there may
be as many as 5 groper beneath the pontoon
at On The Inlet Seafood restaurant Port
Douglas.
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