The Bahamas Archipelago consists of more than 3,000 islands. San Salvador Island, once called Watling’s Island, named after a famous buccaneer, is the reputed site of Cristóbal Colón first landfall upon reaching the Americas on October 12, 1492. The native Lucayons referred to their island as Guanahani.
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Epinephelus striatus - The Nassau grouper is the largest fish of the coral reef environment. The tropical regions of the western Atlantic are their preferred habitat. It can grow up to 1 meter in length and weigh as much as 25 kilos. As its name implies, the Nassau grouper forms large spawning groups. This behavior of grouping in large schools has made this species vulnerable to over-fishing. The large mouth of the grouper is used as a suction device to “inhale” the smaller prey animals sharing the coral reef with the grouper.
