The giant grouper was suffering from a condition known as barotrauma: Barotrauma occurs when they are rapidly brought from deep water to the surface. The rapid change in pressure causes the swim bladder, an internal organ that helps the fish maintain buoyancy, to expand. This expansion can be so severe that it can push other organs out of place, inflate the fish to a point where it can't swim back down, and even be fatal. The "blown up" appearance of the grouper is due to this expansion of the swim bladder. The fisherman stabbing the fish is a procedure known as "venting" or "fizzing." This involves carefully making a small incision to release the built-up gas in the swim bladder, relieving the pressure and allowing the fish to swim back down to its natural depth這條巨型石斑魚患有一種稱為氣壓傷的疾病：當它們被迅速從深水中帶到水面時，就會發生氣壓傷。 壓力的快速變化導致魚鰾（幫助魚保持浮力的內臟）擴張。 這種膨脹可能非常嚴重，以至於會將其他器官推離原位，使魚膨脹到無法遊回的程度，甚至致命。 石斑魚的「膨脹」外觀是由於魚鰾的擴張所致。 漁夫刺魚的過程被稱為「排氣」或「嘶嘶聲」。 這需要小心地切一個小切口，釋放魚鰾中積聚的氣體，釋放壓力，讓魚遊回自然深度。
