Species Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

• Holocentrus malabaricus Bloch, M.E. & Schneider, J.G. 1801. Systema Ichthyologiae Iconibus ex Illustratum. Berlin 584 pp. 110 pls. [319].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB 190, Tranquebar, India.
• Serranus crapao Cuvier, G.L. in Cuvier, G.L. & Valenciennes, A. 1829. Histoire Naturelle des Poissons. Paris : Levrault Vol. 3 500 pp., pls 41-71. [494].

  Type data:

   Holotype MNHP 7332, Jakarta, Java, Indonesia (as Batavia).
• Serranus estuarius Macleay, W.J. 1883. Notes on a collection of fishes from the Burdekin and Mary Rivers, Queensland. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 1 8(2): 199-213 [200].

  Type data:

   Holotype MMUS (missing), Mary River, QLD.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Randall, J.E. & Ben Tuvia, A. 1983. A review of the groupers (Pisces : Serranidae) of the Red Sea, with description of a new species of Cephalopholis. Bulletin of Marine Science 33(2): 373-426 figs 1-27 [403]
• Randall, J.E. & Heemstra, P.C. 1991. Revision of Indo-Pacific groupers (Perciformes: Serranidae: Epinephelinae), with descriptions of five new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes 20: 1-332 [194]

 

Generic Combinations

• Epinephelus malabaricus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). —
  Jordan, D.S. & Seale, A. 1907. Fishes of the islands of Luzon and Panay. Bulletin of the Bureau of Fisheries (U.S.) for 1906 26: 1-48 figs 1-20 [19]
• Serranus malabaricus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801). —
  Day, F. 1875. The Fishes of India; being a natural history of the fishes known to inhabit the sea and fresh water of India, Burma and Ceylon. London : B. Quaritch Part 1 168 pp., pls 1-40. [19]

 

Miscellaneous Literature Names

• Epinephelus tauvina (Forsskål, 1775) [misidentification]. —
  McCulloch, A.R. 1929. A check-list of the fishes recorded from Australia. Part II. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 5: 145–329 [148] (in part)
  Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [167] (989, in part)
  Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [41] (in part)

 

Introduction

This species occurs as juveniles in estuaries with, and is frequently confused with, Epinephelus coioides. Estuary individuals have previously been misidentified as Epinephelus tauvina, a small sized coral reef species.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Murchison River, WA (27º42´S) to Wallis Lake, NSW (32º17´S); tropical, Indo-west-central Pacific; frequently misidentified as E. tauvina.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IMCRA

Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Northwest Shelf Province (27), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Central Eastern Shelf Transition (39), Northeast Shelf Province (40), Northeast Shelf Transition (41)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Benthic, coral reef, estuary, inshore, marine.

Extra Ecological Information

1-150 m.

 

General References

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. [88]

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp. [276]

Craig, M.T., Sadovy de Mitcheson, Y.J. & Heemstra, P.C. 2011. Groupers of the World: a Field and Market Guide. Grahamstown, South Africa : NISC Ltd 356 pp., Appendix 47 pp. [182]

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp. [241]

Heemstra, P.C. & Randall, J.E. 1993. Groupers of the World (Family Serranidae, Subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 16. Rome: FAO. pp. 1-382

Heemstra, P.C. & Randall, J.E. 1999. Family Serranidae. pp. 2442-2548 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2511]

Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Checklist of the fishes of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 63: 9-50 [30]

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp. [132]

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp. [159]

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 507 pp. figs. [111]

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs. [111]

Randall, J.E. & Heemstra, P.C. 1991. Revision of Indo-Pacific groupers (Perciformes: Serranidae: Epinephelinae), with descriptions of five new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes 20: 1-332 [194]

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls. [130]

Whitley, G.P. 1964. A survey of Australian Ichthyology. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 89(1): 11-127 [41] (821, as E. malabricus, in part and 820, as E. tauvina, in part)

 

Common Name References

Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 292 pp. 106 pls. [88] (Malabar Grouper)

FAO-FIES 2017. Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Information System (ASFIS) species list. http://www.fao.org/fishery/collection/asfis/en (Malabar Grouper)

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp. [241] (Blackspot Cod, Malabar Cod, Morgan's Cod)

Heemstra, P.C. & Randall, J.E. 1993. Groupers of the World (Family Serranidae, Subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 16. Rome: FAO. pp. 1-382 [pp. [184], FAO] (Malabar Grouper)

Kuiter, R.H. 1993. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 437 pp. [132] (Estuary Cod)

Munro, I.S.R. 1961. Handbook of Australian fishes. Nos 1–42. Australian Fisheries Newsletter 15–17, 19, 20: 1-172 [published as separates 1956–1961] [167] (Estuary Rock-cod)

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls. [130] (Malabar Rock-cod)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Blackspotted Rockcod)

Yearsley, G.K., Last, P.R. & Hoese, D.F. 2006. Standard names of Australian fishes. CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research Paper 9: 1-64 [38] (Blackspotted Rockcod)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
30-Sep-2019	SERRANIDAE	15-Jan-2019	MODIFIED	Dr Doug Hoese Dr Matthew Lockett
03-Dec-2012		14-May-2013	MODIFIED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)