Epinephelus macrospilos

Epinephelus faveatus differs in having 16–18 dorsal-fin rays (vs. 15–17); 2 oblique bands on sides of chest (vs. chest and pectoral-fin base with dark spots) and pectoral fins pale (vs. rear half of pectoral fins dark).

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

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. no distinctly large black blotch along dorsal fin, only polygonal spots the same size as surrounding spots).

Epinephelus merra differs in having pectoral fins with distinct small black spots (vs. usually dusky, no spots).

Epinephelus quoyanus differs in having pectoral fins large, 1.2–1.7 times in head length (vs. short, 1.5–2.0 in head length) and 2 oblique bands on sides of chest (vs. no dark bands on chest).

Epinephelus spilotoceps differs in having small black spots, the size of nostrils on the snout (vs. large black spots, much larger than nostril on snout) and a caudal peduncle narrow, its depth 3.5–4.1 times in head length (vs. deep, its depth 3.2–2.7 in head length).