Potato Grouper

The Potato Grouper (Epinephelus tukula), also referred to as the Potato Cod or Potato Bass, is a species within the Serranidae family, encompassing marine ray-finned fish such as anthias and sea basses, and belongs to the Epinephelinae subfamily. This species is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific region.

Morphologically, the Potato Grouper exhibits a standard length that is 2.9 to 3.5 times its depth. The area between its eyes is slightly convex, whereas the dorsal profile of the head remains straight. The preopercle is either rounded or subangular, featuring slightly enlarged serrations at its corner. The gill cover maintains a straight upper margin. The dorsal fin comprises 11 spines and 14-15 soft rays, while the anal fin contains three spines and eight rays. Notably, the membranes between the dorsal fin spines are notched, and the caudal fin is rounded. The species displays a pale brownish-grey coloration with large, dark, widely separated blotches. These blotches, resembling potatoes in shape, contribute to the common name of the fish. Potato Groupers are robust, achieving a maximum length of 200 centimeters (79 inches) and a weight of 110 kilograms (240 pounds).

This species has a broad range across the 🇮🇳 Indian and 🌊 Pacific Oceans, though it is generally uncommon to rare. It is most prevalent along the eastern African coast from the 🌊 Red Sea to KwaZulu-Natal (🇿🇦 South Africa) in 🇿🇦 South Africa, as well as around 🌊 Indian Ocean islands such as 🇲🇬 Madagascar, 🇸🇨 Seychelles, 🇲🇺 Mauritius, and Réunion. Its distribution extends from western 🇮🇳 India and 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka to as far east as the 🇸🇧 Solomon Islands, north to southern 🇯🇵 Japan, and south to 🇦🇺 Australia. Notably, it has not been recorded in the 🌊 Persian Gulf. In 🇦🇺 Australia, its presence spans from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Moreton Bay in Queensland, including the Great Barrier Reef.

The Potato Grouper inhabits coral reefs and sea mounts, particularly in channels where strong currents prevail. Juvenile groupers reside in shallow waters, often preferring tidal pools on reefs, while adults inhabit depths ranging from 10 to 150 meters (33 to 492 feet). Exhibiting solitary behavior, these groupers maintain a defined home range and serve as ambush predators. Their diet includes small rays, crabs, fish, squid, octopuses, and spiny lobsters, which they capture by utilizing coral as cover. They demonstrate territorial aggression within their relatively small home range. Sexual maturity is reached at a length of 90 to 99 centimeters (35 to 39 inches) and a weight of 16 to 18 kilograms (35 to 40 pounds), typically at 12 years of age. Although there have been observations of fish aggregations, it remains unclear if this species aggregates for spawning. In captivity, specimens have undergone sex change from female to male, suggesting protogynous hermaphroditism akin to other groupers.

The Potato Cod was formally described in 1953 by J.F.C. Morgans of the East African Fisheries Research Organization based in Zanzibar, with the type locality identified as Mafia Island, Tanzania.

Although the Potato Grouper is subject to exploitation by local and artisanal fisheries throughout its geographic range and appears in the live food fish trade in 🇭🇰 Hong Kong and 🇨🇳 China, its popularity in these markets is limited. Despite concerns regarding potential overfishing, it currently faces no significant threats, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the species as being of Least Concern. Protections are in place for the Potato Grouper in regions including 🇿🇦 South Africa and 🇦🇺 Australia.