The scamp is a protogynous grouper also known as Brown Grouper or Abadejo. It is normally found in reef over ledges and high-relief rocky bottoms in the eastern Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

 and at low-profile bottoms at depths of 30 to 100 m in North Carolina

North Carolina

North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...

. Juveniles can be found as high north as Massachusetts

Massachusetts

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

in shallow water at jetties and mangrove areas. This species was the most abundant grouper in areas of living Oculina coral formations at depths of 70 to 100 m off the east coast of Florida. The scamp grouper apparently moves inshore when bottom temperature fell below 8.6°C. Commonly, the scamp is 30.0 cm long with which makes it a relatively small member of the groupers but a specimen has been reported at 107 cm.

The fish's overall coloration is a deep tan or chocolate brown, with numerous darker markings that form dots, or lines, or groups of lines.

Fishing

The scamp is a popular game and commercial fish and is high prized among the grouper family. Its meat is white in color, sweet in taste and has excellent food value.