EPINEPHELUS MACULATUS - (BLOCH, 1790)
Picture courtesy of: Pauline Fey
Mérou haute voile, Grisette, Loche de sable, Loche uitoe, Blackfin cod, Bloch's rockcod, Brown-spotted rock-cod, Highfin grouper, Marbled rock cod, Spotted grouper, Trout cod, Mero aleta alta, Shirobuchihata, シロブチハタ, 花点石斑鱼, 花點石斑魚, لُؤز جناح مُرتفع, Cá Song mác,
Synonymes
Epinephelus maculates (Bloch, 1790)
Holocentrus albofuscus (Lacepède, 1802)
Holocentrus bicolor (Shaw, 1803)
Holocentrus maculatus (Bloch, 1790)
Perca gigas (Brünnich, 1768)
Plectropoma kulas (Thiollière, 1856)
Serranus medurensis (Günther, 1873)
Serranus sebae (Bleeker, 1854)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17, the third or fourth spine longest: 2.1-2.6 times in head length and distinctly longer than dorsal-fin rays, the interspinous membranes slightly incised between anterior spines and not incised posteriorly; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8, the third spine longest: 3.3-4.1 times in head length and not longer than caudal peduncle depth; Pectoral fin rays: 17-19, the fin length: 1.5-1.9 times in head length; Pelvic fins reaching to or near anus: 1.7-2.0 times in head length. Lateral body scales distinctly rough, with numerous auxiliary scales; Lateral-line scales: 49-52; Lateral scale series: 102-120; First gill arch: 8-10 gill rakers on upper limb, 15-17 on lower limb. Pyloric caeca: 30-45. Body depth: 2.8-3.1 times in standard length; Head length: 2.4-2.6 times in standard length. Interorbital area flat to slightly convex, the dorsal head profile convex; Preopercle with a shallow indentation just above the enlarged serrae at the corner; Upper edge of operculum straight or slightly convex; Maxilla reaches to or past vertical at rear edge of eye, the ventral edge with a blunt hook-like process distally in fishes larger than 35 cm Standard Length; Midlateral part of lower jaw with two rows of teeth; Nostrils subequal. Caudal fin convex or rounded. Max. length: 60.5 cm TL. Depth range: 2 - 100 m.
Color
Small juveniles (5 to 10 cm): yellowish brown, with wellseparated small black spots (mainly on head and fins) and prominent, white blotches and spots, the largest on middle of dorsal fin.
Adults: Head, body, and fins pale brown, covered with small, round to hexagonal, close-set, dark brown spots, extending onto ventral parts of body and head; Two large diffuse dusky areas on dorsal part of body and dorsal fin, the largest, extending over dorsal fin from second to fifth spines, the second dark blotch from tenth spine to second soft ray, the dorsal fin pale between these dark blotches, but with small dark spots. One resting color phase is broadly mottled with large dark and pale areas; In the pale areas, the usual dark brown spots are mostly whitish, with small dark brown centres.
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.
maculatus: from Latin, maculatus = stain, make spotted. Referring to “fine meshwork” (translation) of spots on head and body, some as large as eye.
Original description: Holocentrus maculatus (Bloch, 1790) - Type locality: East Indies.
Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Cocos-Keeling Island east to the Line Islands, north to Amami Islands (southern Japan), south to southeastern Australia, Lord Howe Island and New Caledonia.
Biology
Juveniles are found in shallow coral rubble, adults in isolated coral heads of lagoon and seaward reefs. Feeds mainly on sand-dwelling fishes and crustaceans, sometimes on octopuses. In the Hong Kong live fish markets. Not common, but of some interest in artisanal fisheries. Caught with hook-and-line, spear, and traps. Maybe ciguatoxic in certain areas.
Similar species
Epinephelus bilobatus (Randall & Allen, 1987) - Reported from Eastern Indian Ocean and western Pacific: Western Australia to eastern Indonesia. Greyish-brown color overall with hexagonal brown spots; White strip at back; Dorsal fin base with 2-3 dark bilobed spots; Body scales ctenoid, cycloid scales anterodorsally on thorax and ventrally on abdomen; Body with auxiliary scales. Max. length: 33.0 cm TL. Depth range: 4 - 50 m.
Epinephelus merra (Bloch, 1793) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Epinephelus tauvina (Fabricius, 1775) - Reported from New Caledonia - Link to the species (here).
Last update: 14, March 2023