The Goliath grouper has been protected in state and federal waters off Florida since 1990. That means possession and harvest of the fish is prohibited.

Anyzeski told police he didn’t kill the Goliath grouper.

He said he caught the 20-pound juvenile Aug. 25 in a lagoon on the campus of the College of the Florida Keys on Stock Island, according to the arrest report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The lagoon where the Goliath came from is the college’s dive training lagoon. There are signs posted there that indicate fishing is prohibited.

“The lagoon is a classroom space where we teach diving and marine science classes,” said Amber Ernst-Leonard, the college’s spokeswoman. “It is filled with wildlife that we value and respect.”