Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Perciformes (Order) > Percoidei (Suborder) > Epinephelidae (Family) > Epinephelus (Genus)

Mérou à tâches oranges, Orange-spotted grouper, Orange spotted cod, Greasy cod, Goldspotted rockcod, Estuary rock cod, Estuary cod, Brown-spotted rockcod, Brown-spotted grouper, Orangeplettet havaborre, Orangeflecken-Zackenbarsch, Cernia arancio-pezzata, Cernia a macchie arancioni, Mero azul y amarillo, Mero de pintas naranjas, Garoupa alaranjada, Chairomaruhata, チャイロマルハタ, 点带石斑鱼, 玛拉巴石斑鱼, هامور معمولی, ปลากะรังดอกแดง, Cá mú đen chấm nâu,

Synonymes
Bola coioides (Hamilton, 1822)
Cephalopholis nebulosus (Valenciennes, 1828)
Epinephelus coiodes (Hamilton, 1822)
Epinephelus nebulosus (Valenciennes, 1828)
Epinephelus suillus (Valenciennes, 1828)
Homalogrystes guntheri (Alleyne & Macleay, 1877)
Serranus nebulosus (Valenciennes, 1828)
Serranus suillus (Valenciennes, 1828)

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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-16, interspinous membranes distinctly incised; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Pectoral fin rays: 18-20 (usually: 20), rounded; Lateral line scales: 58-65, the anterior scales of large adults with branched tubules; Logitudinal scales series: 100-118; Gill rakers: 8-10 + 14-17, adults with small bony platelets on lateral side of first gill arch; Head long: 2.3-2.6 in SL (fish 10.0-78.0 cm SL). Body Depth: 2.9-3.85 in SL. Body elongate, not very compressed; Teeth on midside of lower jaw in two to three rows; Rounded corner of preopercle with enlarged serrae; Nostril subequal; Caudal fin rounded. Fourth dorsal spine usually longest; Membranes of spinous portion of dorsal fin incised; Pelvic fins not reaching anus. Scales on body ctenoid except on thorax, abdomen, and a zone above base of anal fin, also narrowing to caudal peduncle. Pyloric caeca: about 50. Max. length: 120.0 cm TL. Max. weight: 32.0 kg. Max. reported age: 22 years. Depth range: 1 - 100 m.

Color
Light greyish brown dorsally, shading to whitish on side and ventrally, with numerous brownish orange or brownish yellow spots the size of pupil or smaller on head and body; Five slightly diagonal greyish brown bars on head and body which bifurcate ventrally, the first 4 extending basally into dorsal fin; Brownish orange spots on body tend to be arranged in rows parallel to dark bars, this more evident on smaller than larger fish; Large dark greyish brown blotches usually present on head, the most prominent behind eye and on opercle; Fins whitish to light dusky with brownish orange to brown spots except distally on spinous portion of dorsal fin, caudal fin and pectoral.

Etymology
Epinephelus: from prefix Greek, epi = upon, on, over, near, at, before, after + from Greek, Nephos = cloud. Referring to film or membrane eye of most if not all groupers known to Bloch (although modern accounts mention only a transparent cornea protruding slightly through the orbit); Bloch also provided three vernacular names that describe the eyes: Blödaugen, German for “stupid eyes” or “bleary eyes,” depending on the translation, the English “Wall-eye,” and the French Tayes (per Bloch 1797), from taie, an opaque spot on the cornea.
coioides: from the words used by native fisherman, Coïbola or Coïbor + from Latin suffix, -oides = form, likeness, appearance, resemblance.
Original description: Bola coioides Hamilton, 1822 - Type locality: large Gangetic estuaries, India.

Distribution
Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific: Eastern Cape, Kwaulu-Natal (South Africa), East Africa, Gulf of Adem, Gulf of Oman, Persian Gulf, Madagascar and western Mascarenes (La Réunion, Mauritius), east to Fiji, north to southern Sea of Japan and Sagami Bay (Japan), south to Western Australia, New South Wales (Australia) and New Caledonia; Mediterranean Sea (Red Sea immigrant).

Biology
Inhabit turbid coastal reefs and are often found in brackish water over mud and rubble. Juveniles are common in shallow waters of estuaries over sand, mud and gravel and among mangroves. Solitary. Feed on small fishes, shrimps, and crabs. Probably spawn during restricted periods and form aggregations when doing so. Eggs and early larvae are probably pelagic. Has been tested in several countries as a potential species for mariculture.