Malabar Grouper

The Malabar grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus), commonly referred to as blackspot rockcod, estuary rockcod, or greasy grouper, is a significant species within the Serranidae family, which also encompasses anthias and sea basses. This marine ray-finned fish is indigenous to the Indo-Pacific region and has been identified in the Mediterranean Sea as a Lessepsian migrant from the 🌊 Red Sea via the Suez Canal (🇪🇬 Egypt).

The species is prevalent across tropical waters of the Indo-West Pacific, spanning from the eastern coast of Africa to the 🇹🇴 Tonga Islands, including the 🌊 Red Sea. Its first documentation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea occurred in 1969, where it remains a rare specimen. The introduction of the Malabar grouper into new areas may be facilitated by mariculture and shipping activities. This grouper thrives in a diverse range of habitats, including lagoons, mangroves, coral and rocky reefs, as well as sandy and muddy substrates, at depths ranging between 2 and 150 meters. Juvenile Malabar groupers exhibit a preference for lagoon and brackish environments.

The Malabar grouper can attain a maximum length of 234 cm (92 in), although the average size is typically around 100 cm (39 in). Its appearance is characterized by a light grey to light brownish base color, accented with dark brown spots that become more numerous with age. The body also displays various brown diagonal stripes. Juveniles possess wide, broken vertical bands of a darker shade, which evolve into a more uniform darker coloration as they mature. The tail fin is distinctly rounded.

Epinephelus malabaricus is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning the species undergoes a sex change from female to male during its lifecycle. As avid predators, Malabar groupers subsist on a diet consisting of fish, crustaceans, and occasionally cephalopods.

Like most fish, Malabar groupers host a variety of parasites, including several diplectanid monogeneans such as Pseudorhabdosynochus manifestus, P. maaensis, P. malabaricus, P. manipulus, P. marcellus, and P. maternus.

Malabar groupers are sought after for culinary use, recreational fishing, and commercial purposes, and they are also cultivated in aquaculture operations.