A stout fish with a large mouth that uses its mouth and gills to suck in prey, which it swallows whole, and also to excavate a shelter in sand beneath a rock. Some species pursue prey, others hunt by ambush. There are many species, all belonging to the family Serranidae, which also includes sea basses. They vary in size, the giant grouper (Epinephalus lanceolatus) growing to more than 3 m long and weighing up to 600 kg. Many groupers are important food or sport fish, and some are farmed.