Brownspotted grouper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Brownspotted grouper |
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| Epinephelus chlorostigma from New Caledonia | |
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The brownspotted grouper (Epinephelus chlorostigma) is a type of fish that lives in the ocean. It is also known by other names like the brown spotted reef cod or honeycomb cod. This fish belongs to a group called groupers, which are part of the Serranidae family. This family also includes fish like anthias and sea basses. Brownspotted groupers are found in the Indo-Pacific region, which covers parts of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The brownspotted grouper has a body that is about 2.8 to 3.3 times longer than it is deep. The part of its head behind the eye, called the preopercle, is slightly angled. It has 4 to 7 larger teeth-like bumps on this angle. The top edge of its gill cover is straight.
This fish has two main fins on its back. The first one has 11 strong spines, and the second one has 16 to 18 soft rays. Its tail fin can be flat or slightly curved inwards. The fins on its belly are a bit shorter than the fins on its sides. It has about 48 to 53 scales along its side, forming a line called the lateral line.
The brownspotted grouper is usually a pale color. It is covered in many small brown spots. However, the lower part of its head, chest, and lower belly do not have these spots. Sometimes, this fish can temporarily show large dark spots over its usual pattern. The biggest brownspotted grouper ever recorded was about 80 centimetres (31 in) long. But most of them are around 50 centimetres (20 in) long. The heaviest one found weighed about 7 kilograms (15 lb).
Where Does It Live?
The brownspotted grouper lives in the Indo-Pacific area. This huge area stretches from the Red Sea and the eastern coast of Africa, all the way down to South Africa. It also extends to the Western Pacific Ocean. You can find them as far north as southern Japan and south to New Caledonia. They are also seen east towards American Samoa and Fiji.
However, they are not found everywhere in this large area. For example, there are no confirmed records of them in places like the Comoros islands or parts of the East Indies. In Australia, these fish are only found around offshore reefs in the northwest.
Where It Lives and What It Eats
The brownspotted grouper can live in many different places in the ocean. You might find them in areas with seagrass, on the outer slopes of coral reefs, or even over muddy seabeds.
This fish usually lives alone. It is a predator, meaning it hunts other smaller animals for food. Its main diet includes small fish and crustaceans. It especially likes to eat stomatopods, which are also known as mantis shrimp, and crabs.
Utilisation
People catch brownspotted groupers for food in many places where they live. They are an important fish for local fisheries.
Images for kids
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This image shows Neidhartia lochepintade, a tiny parasite that can live inside the brownspotted grouper.
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