Epinephelus maculatus
Highfin Grouper | Bloch's Rockcod | Brown-spotted Rockcod | Marbled Rock | Spotted Rockcod | Trout Cod
Similar Species
Same Genus
Distribution
Temperate Australasia, Tropical Indo-Pacific
Description
Brown with darker polygonal pattern and high spiny dorsal fin similar to E. bilobatus (Frostback Rockcod), but with two white saddles in front of, and midway along, dorsal fin, each followed by a broad diffuse dusky patch. Younger adults with yellow fin margins. Juveniles dark brown/black with white blotches over body. Length to 62cm.
Information
Max Size: 61 cm
Sea Temperature Range: 19.1-30°C
Depth: 1-100m
Habitat Generalization Index: 0.82
Also referred to as the SGI (Species Generalisation Index), this describes the habitat niche breadth of the species. Species with values less than 15 are found in a relatively narrow range of reef habitat types (specialists), while those over 25 may be found on most hard substrates within their range (generalists). Learn more here.
Conservation and Rarity
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Occurrence: Infrequent (2.1% of sites)
Occurrence describes how often the species is found on surveys within its distribution. It is calculated as the % of reef sites surveyed by RLS divers across all the ecoregions in which the species has been observed
Abundance: Solitary (1 per transect)
Abundance is calculated as the average number of individuals recorded per RLS transect, where present.
Edit by: Joe Shields