The warsaw grouper is a large, robust grouper, dark brown and uniform in color. Young fish can have white spots and speckles. The second spine of the dorsal fin is elongated.
These grouper live in deeper offshore waters on structures. They are caught in 300 to 1,000 feet, and barotrauma is a problem for attempting to release these fish. It is best to try and sink them with a heavy weight and release the rig to decompress the gasses and enable the fish to swim back down.
Targeting warsaw requires heavy bottom tackle to drop large live and dead baits around deepwater structures. Anglers often use electric reels to fish depths greater than 300 feet.