Epinephelus longispinis

Osteichthyes Serranidae Genus Epinephelus Epinephelus longispinis

Longspine grouper EWW

42 cm TL

Characteristic features:

Colour:

Brownish with small reddish brown spots, spots widely spaced on head and anterior body but more numerous and obliquely elongate posteriorly on body.

Size:

Up to 54 cm TL.

Distribution:

Indian Ocean in tropical waters.

Habitat:

Coral and rocky reefs, from 1 to 70 m depth.

Indonesian fisheries:

Caught with hook-and-line, spear, traps, and in trawls.

Similar species:

Epinephelus corallicola
Coral grouper

Epinephelus corallicola differs in having a preopercle with fine serrations (vs. large serrations); posterior nostril 5–6 times larger than anterior nostril in fish >15 cm SL (vs. posterior nostril only slightly larger than anterior nostril); widely spaced small black spots over all of head and body (vs. widely spaced, small, dark reddish-brown round spots over head and anterior body, becoming elongate and closer together posteriorly).

to Epinephelus corallicola

Epinephelus magniscuttis
Spotted grouper

Epinephelus magniscuttis differs in having dark brown to greyish green spots unevenly scattered on the mid and upper parts of head and body (vs. widely spaced, small, dark reddish brown, round spots on head and front half of body, becoming obliquely elongated and closer together posteriorly) and spots absent on anal and paired fins (vs. spots present).

to Epinephelus magniscuttis

Epinephelus bontoides
Palemargin grouper

Epinephelus bontoides differs in having the 3^rd to 11^th dorsal-fin spines subequal in length (vs. 3^rd or 4^thspines longer than other dorsal-fin spines) and spots remaining round and evenly spaced over whole body (vs. spots round and widely spaced anteriorly on body, becoming elongate and closer together on posteriorly).

to Epinephelus bontoides

External links:

FishBase
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM