Epinephelus corallicola (Valenciennes, 1828)

Body Proportions

Epinephelus corallicola (Valenciennes, 1828) has a body whose standard length is 2.7 to 3.2 times its body depth.

Head Morphology

The dorsal profile of its head is almost straight, and the area between its eyes is flat. Its preopercle is rounded, with fine serrations and a slight notch. The upper edge of its gill cover has a complex structure.

Fin Structure

The dorsal fin has 11 spines and 15 to 17 soft rays, while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The membranes between the dorsal fin spines are slightly notched. The caudal fin is rounded.

Scales

There are 53 to 63 scales along the lateral line.

Coloration

This species is a light bluish-grey to greyish-green grouper, with saddle-like blotches running along its back. Dark spots are more or less evenly distributed across both its body and fins, and it also has an irregular pattern of paler blotches.

Size

The maximum published total length for this species is 49 centimetres (19 in).

Global Distribution

This species is distributed in the eastern Indo-Pacific region. Its range extends from Thailand eastwards through Indonesia and the Philippines to Australia, Micronesia and Palau, and it is rarely recorded off northern New Caledonia.

Australian Distribution

In Australia, it occurs from Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia, along the continent’s tropical northern coasts, to northern New South Wales.

Habitat and Depth

Epinephelus corallicola can be found in a range of habitats, from silty shallow reefs to clear waters on outer reef slopes, at depths between 1 and 30 metres (3.3 and 98.4 ft). It is sometimes also found in estuaries.

Research Status

As of yet, there has been little research conducted on the biology of this species.