Grouper and Loup de mer are different fish, but they're close enough in the kitchen to stand in for one another.
Serranidae
Grouper
Grouper is one of the most prized fish in Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean. Multiple species — red grouper, black grouper, and gag grouper — appear under the same market name. All share firm, white, mildly sweet flesh that holds up well to grilling, frying, and baking. The grouper sandwich is an iconic Florida coastal staple. In Mexico it is called mero and is fundamental to Yucatecan cuisine — mero frito and mero a la plancha are found on coastal menus from Veracruz to Quintana Roo. In Portugal and Brazil it is garoupa; in France, mérou.
Full guide →Moronidae
Loup de mer
European sea bass is one of the great naming confusion fish — the same farmed species is called loup de mer in France, lubina in Spain, branzino in Italy, and robalo in Portugal and Brazil. It has delicate white flesh, few bones, and a clean mild flavor. Farmed extensively in the Mediterranean, it is most commonly cooked whole — roasted in salt crust, grilled over open flame, or baked with herbs.
Full guide →Both are prized mild white fish well suited to whole cooking and restaurant menus — grouper is firmer and more robust, sea bass more delicate.
| Country | Grouper | Loup de mer |
|---|
| 🇺🇸United States | Grouper | Sea bass |
| 🇬🇧United Kingdom | Grouper | Sea bass |
| 🇫🇷France | Mérou | Loup de mer |
| 🇪🇸Spain | Mero | Lubina |
| 🇦🇷Argentina | Mero | Pejerrey de mar |
| 🇲🇽Mexico | Mero | Robalo |
| 🇵🇹Portugal | Garoupa | Robalo |
| 🇧🇷Brazil | Garoupa | Robalo |
| 🇮🇹Italy | Cernia | Branzino |
| 🇩🇪Germany | Zackenbarsch | Wolfsbarsch |
Browse every species in the atlas on the fish index, or identify one from a photo with Identify my cut.