Epinephelus spilotoceps


Foursaddle grouper EZO
Characteristic features:
Colour:

Head and body pale, mostly covered in close-set dark olive-brown to reddish-brown polygonal spots with pale interspaces forming a reticulum; 4 dark saddle-like blotches on back and outer pectoral fins yellowish-green.

Size:

Uo to 31 cm TL.

Distribution:

Indo–West Pacific in tropical waters.

Habitat:

Coral reefs, to 30 m depth.

Indonesian fisheries:

No information available.

Similar species:

Epinephelus faveatus
Indian grouper

Epinephelus faveatus

Epinephelus faveatus differs in having 2 oblique bands on sides of chest (vs. no dark bands on chest).

Epinephelus hexagonatus
Starspotted grouper

Epinephelus hexagonatus

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

Epinephelus macrospilos
Snubnose grouper

Epinephelus macrospilos

Epinephelus macrospilos differs in having large black spots, much larger than nostril on snout (vs. small black spots, the size of nostrils, on snout) and a caudal peduncle deep, its depth 3.2–2.7 in head length (vs. narrow, its depth 3.7–4.3 times in head length).

Epinephelus melanostigma
Blackspot grouper

Epinephelus melanostigma

Epinephelus melanostigma differs in having large black spots, much larger than nostril on the snout (vs. small black spots, the size of nostrils, on snout).

Epinephelus merra
Honeycomb grouper

Epinephelus merra feature

Epinephelus merra differs in having black spots larger than nostril on snout (vs. small black spots the size of nostrils, on snout) and black dorsal blotches never present (vs. 3 black blotches along dorsal-fin base and 1 at caudal peduncle).

Epinephelus quoyanus
Longfin grouper

Epinephelus quoyanus feature

Epinephelus quoyanus differs in having large black spots, larger than nostrils size on the snout (vs. small spots, the size of nostril, on snout); no black blotches present along dorsal-fin base, although spots here may be darker (vs. 4 dark blotches along dorsal-fin base and on caudal peduncle present) and 2 oblique bands on sides of chest (vs. no dark bands on chest).

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