EPINEPHELUS CORALLICOLA - (VALENCIENNES, 1828)
Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Perciformes (Order) > Percoidei (Suborder) > Epinephelidae (Family) > Epinephelus (Genus)
Mérou corail, Mérou du corail, Black-dotted cod, Coral cod, Coral grouper, Coral rock-cod, Coral rockcod, Coral trout, Duskyfin grouper, Reef cod, Koral-havaborre, Hiregurohata, ホシヒレグロハタ, 黑駁石斑魚, 珊瑚石斑魚,
Synonymes
Epinephelus coralicola (Valenciennes, 1828)
Serranus altivelioides (Bleeker, 1849)
Serranus corallicola (Valenciennes, 1828)
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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Pectoral fin rays: 18-20; Short pelvic fins: 1.8-2.3 in head length; Lateral line scales: 54-63; Longitudinal scale series: 96-107; Body depth: 2.7-3.2 in SL. Dorsal profile of head nearly straight; Teeth on midside of lower jaw in three to four rows; Posterior nostril of adults vertically elongate; Caudal fin rounded. Max length: 49.0 cm TL. Depth range: 1 - 30 m.
Color
Brownish to greenish grey with widely scattered black sports smaller than pupil on head, body and fins; Three dusky to blackish spots on back at base of rear half of dorsal fin, the most anterior (at base of last two or three spines) largest and most distinc.
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.
corallicola: from Latin, corallium, from Ancient Greek, korállion = coral + from Latin suffix, -icola = dweller or inhabitant. The species is named corallicola in reference to the characteristic habitat.
Original description: Serranus corallicola Valenciennes, 1828 - Typel locality: Java, Indonesia.
Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Christmas Island and Indonesia, east to Solomon and Mariana Islands, north to Taiwan, south to Western Australia, Queensland (Australia), New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Biology
Found in a range of habitats from silty shallow reefs to clear outer reef slopes. The ovary was well developed in an examined fish of 30 cm SL. Solitary or in small groups.
Similar species
Epinephelus howlandi (Günther, 1873) - Reported from New Caledonia. Link to the species (here).
Epinephelus macrospilos (Bleeker, 1855) - Reported from New Caledonia. Link to the species (here).
Mérou corail, Mérou du corail, Black-dotted cod, Coral cod, Coral grouper, Coral rock-cod, Coral rockcod, Coral trout, Duskyfin grouper, Reef cod, Koral-havaborre, Hiregurohata, ホシヒレグロハタ, 黑駁石斑魚, 珊瑚石斑魚,
Synonymes
Epinephelus coralicola (Valenciennes, 1828)
Serranus altivelioides (Bleeker, 1849)
Serranus corallicola (Valenciennes, 1828)
----------------------------
Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8; Pectoral fin rays: 18-20; Short pelvic fins: 1.8-2.3 in head length; Lateral line scales: 54-63; Longitudinal scale series: 96-107; Body depth: 2.7-3.2 in SL. Dorsal profile of head nearly straight; Teeth on midside of lower jaw in three to four rows; Posterior nostril of adults vertically elongate; Caudal fin rounded. Max length: 49.0 cm TL. Depth range: 1 - 30 m.
Color
Brownish to greenish grey with widely scattered black sports smaller than pupil on head, body and fins; Three dusky to blackish spots on back at base of rear half of dorsal fin, the most anterior (at base of last two or three spines) largest and most distinc.
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.
corallicola: from Latin, corallium, from Ancient Greek, korállion = coral + from Latin suffix, -icola = dweller or inhabitant. The species is named corallicola in reference to the characteristic habitat.
Original description: Serranus corallicola Valenciennes, 1828 - Typel locality: Java, Indonesia.
Distribution
Eastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Christmas Island and Indonesia, east to Solomon and Mariana Islands, north to Taiwan, south to Western Australia, Queensland (Australia), New Caledonia and Vanuatu.
Biology
Found in a range of habitats from silty shallow reefs to clear outer reef slopes. The ovary was well developed in an examined fish of 30 cm SL. Solitary or in small groups.
Similar species
Epinephelus howlandi (Günther, 1873) - Reported from New Caledonia. Link to the species (here).
Epinephelus macrospilos (Bleeker, 1855) - Reported from New Caledonia. Link to the species (here).
Last update: 29, September 2024