Animal Species:Highfin Grouper, Epinephelus maculatus (Bloch, 1790)

Adult Highfin Grouper are light brown with dark brown spots. Juveniles are darker overall and have additional white blotches on the head, body and fins. The species occurs tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

Highfin Grouper, Epinephelus maculatus

Highfin Grouper, Epinephelus maculatus
Ian Shaw © Ian Shaw

Alternative Name/s

Blackfin Cod, Brown-spotted Rock-cod, Marbled Rockcod, Spotty Cod, Trout Cod

Identification

Adult Highfin Grouper are light brown with dark brown spots. There are two large dark areas on the upper sides extending into the dorsal fins. These are both preceded by a large whitish area.

Juveniles have black and white areas on the upper sides like the adults, however they are darker overall and have additional white blotches on the head, body and fins.

Size range

The species grows to 50cm in length.

Distribution

It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific.

In Australia it is recorded from north-western Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef to the central coast of New South Wales.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums.  Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Epinephelus maculatus

Distribution by collection data

Ozcam map of Highfin Grouper specimens in the Australian Museums.

What does this mean?

Classification

Species:
maculatus (Bloch, 1790)
Genus:
Epinephelus
Family:
Serranidae
Order:
Perciformes
Class:
Actinopterygii
Subphylum:
Vertebrata
Phylum:
Chordata
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?

References

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 292.
  2. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  3. Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum. Supplement No. 63: 9-50.
  4. Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
  5. Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
  6. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.


Mark McGrouther , Collection Manager, Ichthyology
Last Updated:

Tags fishes, ichthyology, Highfin Grouper, Trout Cod, Epinephelus maculatus, light brown, dark brown spots, dots/spots, tropical water, marine, Blackfin Cod, Brown-spotted Rock-cod, Marbled Rockcod, Spotty Cod, 30 cm - 1 m, Serranidae,