Flag Cabrilla: The Reef's Patient Ambusher

Some fish chase their food; the flag cabrilla waits for it. This small, stocky grouper is a master of sitting still among the rocks until the moment is right. Here's how to spot it near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Flag Cabrilla · Epinephelus labriformis

How to spot the flag cabrilla near Jacó

Look in and around rocky crevices and ledges, where flag cabrilla rest motionless, waiting to ambush. They're mottled brown to greenish with pale and dark blotches, and can shift their coloring to blend in. If a fish on the rocks seems to vanish as you look away, it may be one of these.

5 fun facts about the flag cabrilla

• A quick-change artist. The flag cabrilla can darken, pale, or blotch its coloring in moments to match the rock and stay hidden.
• An ambush feeder. Rather than chase prey, it waits and then lunges, swallowing small fish and crustaceans with a sudden gulp.
• A vacuum mouth. Groupers feed by opening a huge mouth fast, creating suction that pulls prey right in.
• Born female, later male. Like many groupers, some individuals start life as females and change to males as they grow.
• An Eastern Pacific grouper. It's one of the most common small groupers along the Pacific coast of the Americas.

The flag cabrilla is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.