Epinephelus spilotoceps

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

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 2^nd anal-fin spine long, 2.1–2.5 times in head length (vs. shorter, 2.4–3.4 times in head length).

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 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 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 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).