Camouflage Grouper

Epinephelus polyphekadion

Bislamalos— names this kind of animal, not this species alone

uncommonVU · Vulnerablewhitebrownspottedcamouflagevery-largereef

Habitat: Reef
Max size: 1.1 m
Depth: 0-50 m
Family: Serranidae

The camouflage grouper, also known as the blue-tailed cod, camouflage rockcod, small-toothed rockcod, smooth flowery rock-cod, snout-spot grouper or snout-spot rock-cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution where it is associated with reefs. There is actually a French documentary called Le Mystère Mérou about the spawning and behavior of these fish shot in the Atol of Fakarava in French Polynesia.

Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Side by side, with what tells them apart.

Both are large, brown-spotted groupers. Greasy Grouper is long-bodied with a big head, pale greenish grey to brown, with round spots from orange-red to dark brown and often a black blotch at the base of the last dorsal spines. Camouflage Grouper is deeper, pale brown with small dark spots overlaid by large dark blotches like diagonal bands, a whitish upper body, a black saddle on the tail base and small white spots on the fins.

See the Greasy Grouper →

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