Epinephelus malabaricus

(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Malabar Grouper

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Red Sea to East Africa to Tonga, north to Japan and south to Australia.

Size: 95 inches (237 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits tidepools, estuaries, mangroves and sandy and muddy areas areas coral reefs, usually in shallow waters, and found at depths between 3 – 500 feet (1 – 150 m) where it feeds on small fishes and crustaceans.

General Husbandry: Has a mottled grey body with dark vertical bands. Not collected for the trade.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Percoidei

Family: Serranidae

Subfamily: Epinephelinae

Genus: Epinephelus

FYI: Shown here for identification only.

Mainly a food fish and gamefish in the local areas.

Unsuitable for home aquariums.