Whitespotted Grouper, Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus (Bloch, 1790)
Scientific name: Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus
Alternative name/s:
Ocellated Rock-cod, Ocellated Rockcod, Small-spotted Cod, Small-spotted Rock-cod, White-spotted Rockcod
Ocellated Rock-cod, Ocellated Rockcod, Small-spotted Cod, Small-spotted Rock-cod, White-spotted Rockcod
Click to enlarge image
A Whitespotted Grouper caught and released at the mouth of the Wooli River, northern New South Wales, October 2004.
Image: Ken Sloan
© Ken Sloan
© Ken Sloan
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Epinephelus
- Species
- coeruleopunctatus
- Family
- Serranidae
- Order
- Perciformes
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- The species grows to 60 cm in length.
Introduction
The Whitespotted Grouper is grey-brown with large white blotches and small white spots on the head, body and dorsal fin.
Distribution
It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-west-central-Pacific.
The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.
References
- 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.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
