- Malabar grouper
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Malabar Grouper 
Conservation status Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Perciformes Family: Serranidae Genus: Epinephelus Species: E. malabaricus Binomial name Epinephelus malabaricus
Forsskål, 1775Malabar grouper, also referred to as the estuary cod, greasy cod, spotted river cod or estuary rock cod[1], is an Indo-Pacific species of fish in the family Serranidae.
Contents
Range
This shallow water fish is found in the Red Sea, south to South Africa, as far as southeast Australia and south Japan.[2]
Description
The Malabar grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus), a member of groupers is one of the largest and most common cod found in tropical estuaries and on coastal reefs. It can reach a length of over 1.2m and weight over 150kg.[3] The Malabar grouper is olive-green, with a number of brown spots randomly scattered. Younger fish have a number of wide, broken vertical bands of darker shade across their bodies, but in maturity they seem to become a uniform darker colour. Young fish have numerous brown spots. The tail fin is rounded.
Diet
As voracious predators, they feed on fish, crustaceans and, occasionally, cephalopods.
Habitat
They can be found as deep as 60m, in lagoons, mangrove swamps, reefs and sand bottoms.
References
- ^ Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2007). "Epinephelus malabaricus" in FishBase. 5 2007 version.
- ^ Lieske, E. and Myers, R.F. (2004) Coral reef guide; Red Sea London, HarperCollins ISBN 0-00-715986-2
- ^ Siliotti, A. (2002) fishes of the red sea Verona, Geodia ISBN 88-87177-42-2
Categories:- IUCN Red List near threatened species
- Fish of the Red Sea
- Epinephelus
- Lessepsian migrants
- Fish of the Indian Ocean
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