Epinephelus hexagonatus

Characteristic features:

Colour:

Head and body covered in polygonal reddish-brown spots that merge, with distinct white dots at each corner of the polygons; 4 or 5 brownish black saddle blotches formed by groups of darker spots along dorsal body extending onto dorsal fin; large greenish-brown spot behind eye; fins spotted, some fins with yellow tinge.

Size:

Up to 26 cm TL.

Distribution:

Indo–West Pacific in tropical waters.

Habitat:

Coral reefs, from the surface to 30 m depth.

Indonesian fisheries:

Caught with hook-and-line, traps, spear, and gill nets.

Similar species:

Epinephelus faveatus
Indian grouper

Epinephelus faveatus differ in having head and body with round, brownish close-set spots that do not merge (vs. brownish polygonal spots that merge to leave conspicuous white triangular dots between corners of polygons) and 2 oblique dark bands on sides of chest (vs. no dark bands on chest).

to Epinephelus faveatus

Epinephelus macrospilos
Snubnose grouper

Epinephelus macrospilos differs in having head and body with brownish, round or polygonal, close-set spots that do not merge (vs. brownish polygonal spots that merge to leave white triangular dots between corners of polygons); pectoral fins dusky with a narrow white edge (vs. pectoral fins with brown and white spots) and gill rakers on lower limb of first gill arch 14–17 (vs. 17–19).

to Epinephelus macrospilos

Epinephelus melanostigma
Blackspot grouper

Epinephelus melanostigma differs in having a large, single black blotch at mid dorsal fin, covering the base of 3 dorsal-fin spines and extending onto body (vs. 4–5 dark brown blotches on dorsal part of body and caudal peduncle) and a group of polygonal spots behind eye sometimes darker (vs. a singular large brown or olive-green spot behind eye.).

to Epinephelus melanostigma

Epinephelus merra
Honeycomb grouper

Epinephelus merra differs in having brownish close-set polygonal spots that do not merge (vs. brownish polygonal spots that merge to leave conspicuous white triangular dots between corners of polygons) and no black blotches on dorsal surface (vs. 3 black blotches on dorsal-fin base, and 1 on caudal peduncle).

to Epinephelus merra

Epinephelus quoyanus
Longfin grouper

Epinephelus quoyanus differs in having brownish close-set polygonal to round spots that do not merge, becoming diffuse ventrally (vs. brownish polygonal spots that merge to leave conspicuous white triangular dots between corners of polygons) and 2 oblique bands on sides of chest (vs. no dark bands on chest).

to Epinephelus quoyanus

Epinephelus spilotoceps
Foursaddle grouper

Epinephelus spilotoceps differs in having brownish close-set polygonal spots that do not merge (vs. brownish polygonal spots that merge to leave conspicuous white triangular dots between corners of polygons); a group of polygonal spots behind eye sometimes darker (vs. a singular large brown or olive green spot behind eye) and 2^nd anal-fin spine short, 2.4–3.4 times in head length (vs. longer, 2.1–2.5 times in head length).

to Epinephelus spilotoceps

FishBase
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM