Epinephelus magniscuttis

Osteichthyes Serranidae Genus Epinephelus Epinephelus magniscuttis

Spotted grouper EEJ

18.7 cm TL

Characteristic features:

Colour:

Body brownish with many small irregularly scattered dark-brown spots, no spots below level of pectoral-fin base, paired fins not spotted.

Size:

Up to 150 cm TL.

Distribution:

Indo–West Pacific in tropical waters.

Habitat:

Deep coral reefs, from 130 to 300 m depth.

Indonesian fisheries:

Probably caught with hook-and-line and longlines.

Similar species:

Epinephelus corallicola
Coral grouper

Epinephelus corallicola differs in having preopercle rounded, with 2–4 large serrations (vs. angular, finely serrated); posterior nostril 5–6 times larger than anterior nostril in fish >15 cm SL (vs. posterior nostril not much larger than anterior nostril) and spots present on head, body and all fins (vs. no spots on body below level of pectoral fins, or on the anal fin or paired fins).

to Epinephelus corallicola

Epinephelus longispinis
Longspine grouper

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

to Epinephelus longispinis

External links:

FishBase
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species^TM