Giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)

General data

Main name: Giant grouper
Local names: Queensland grouper, Brindle grouper, Mottled-brown sea bass
Climates: Tropical
Habitat: Saltwater
Native: Africa, Asia, Australia & Oceania
Distribution: Pacific Ocean, Indian ocean, East China Sea, South China Sea, Gulf of Carpentaria

Classification

Description

The giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus), also known as the Queensland grouper, brindle grouper or mottled-brown sea bass, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution and is one of the largest extant species of bony fish. The giant grouper has a robust body which has a standard length equivalent to 2.4 to 3.4 times its depth. The dorsal profile of the head and the intraorbital area are convex, The propercle has a rounded corner and a finely serrated margin. The gill cover has a convex upper margin. There are 11 spines and 14–16 soft rays in the dorsal fin while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The caudal fin is slightly rounded. There are 54 to 62 scales in its lateral line. The adults are grayish-brown in colour overlain with a mottled pattern and with darker fins. The small juveniles are yellow with wide, dark irregular bars and irregular dark spots on their fins. The giant grouper can grow to huge size with the maximum recorded standard length being 270 centimetres (110 in), although they are more common around 180 centimetres (71 in), and a maximum published weight of 400 kilograms (880 lb). The giant grouper has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution, it is the most widely distributed species of grouper in the world. It occurs from the Red Sea and the eastern coasts of Africa as far south as Algoa Bay in South Africa and across the Indian Ocean into the Western Pacific Ocean as far east as the Pitcairn Islands and Hawaii. They occur as far north as southern Japan and as far south as Australia. In Australia it is found from Rottnest Island in Western Australia north and east along the tropical coasts of Australia, including offshore reefs, and then south along the eastern coast to Woy Woy, New South Wales. It also occurs around Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Islands and the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Marine National Park Reserve in the Tasman Sea. There have also been reports from the Younghusband Peninsula in South Australia and north eastern New Zealand. It is absent from the Persian Gulf, but it is present off the coast of Pakistan and southern Oman.

Taxonomy of Fishes

Osteichthyes - Bony fishes->
- Coelacanthi - Lobe-finned fishes->
- Teleostei - Ray-finned fishes->
  - Perciformes - Perches->
    
    Percidae - Perches->
    
    Pomatomidae - Bluefishes->
    
    Serranidae - Sea basses->
    
    Pomacentridae - Damsel and clownfishes->
    
    Latidae - Lates perches->
    
    Centropomidae - Snooks->
    
    Lutjanidae - Snappers->
    
    Haemulidae - Grunts->
    
    Artedidraconidae - Barbled plunderfishes->
    
    Embiotocidae - Surfperches->
    
    Glaucosomatidae - Pearl perches->
    
    Malacanthidae - Tilefishes->
    
    Polynemidae - Threadfin->
    
    Gerreidae - Mojarras->
    
    Priacanthidae - Bigeyes->
    
    Monodactylidae - Moonyfishes->
    
    Centrogenyidae - False scorpionfishes->
    
    Epinephelidae - Groupers->
    
    Epinephelus - Cloudy groupers->
    
    Atlantic goliath grouper (Epinephelus itajara)
    
    Dusky grouper (Epinephelus marginatus)
    
    Goldblotch grouper (Epinephelus costae)
    
    Red grouper (Epinephelus morio)
    
    Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus)
    
    Malabar grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus)
    
    Maori rockcod (Epinephelus undulatostriatus)
    
    Blacktip grouper (Epinephelus fasciatus)
    
    One-blotch grouper (Epinephelus melanostigma)
    
    Comet grouper (Epinephelus morrhua)
    
    Pacific goliath grouper (Epinephelus quinquefasciatus)
    
    Giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
    
    Honeycomb grouper (Epinephelus merra)
    
    Potato grouper (Epinephelus tukula)
    
    Blue-and-yellow grouper (Epinephelus flavocaeruleus)
    
    White grouper (Epinephelus aeneus)
    
    Epaulet grouper (Epinephelus stoliczkae)
    
    Rock hind (Epinephelus adscensionis)
    
    Hong Kong grouper (Epinephelus akaara)
    
    White-edged grouper (Epinephelus albomarginatus)
    
    Banded grouper (Epinephelus amblycephalus)
    
    Spotted grouper (Epinephelus analogus)
    
    Catface grouper (Epinephelus andersoni)
    
    Areolate grouper (Epinephelus areolatus)
    
    Yellow grouper (Epinephelus awoara)
    
    Frostback rockcod (Epinephelus bilobatus)
    
    Duskytail grouper (Epinephelus bleekeri)
    
    Palemargin grouper (Epinephelus bontoides)
    
    Longtooth grouper (Epinephelus bruneus)
    
    Dogtooth grouper (Epinephelus caninus)
    
    Moustache grouper (Epinephelus chabaudi)
    
    Tonga grouper (Epinephelus chlorocephalus)
    
    Brownspotted grouper (Epinephelus chlorostigma)
    
    Epinephelus clippertonensis (Epinephelus clippertonensis)
    
    Whitespotted grouper (Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus)
    
    Orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides)
    
    Coral grouper (Epinephelus corallicola)
    
    Brokenbar Grouper (Epinephelus craigi)
    
    Speckled blue grouper (Epinephelus cyanopodus)
    
    Saddletail grouper (Epinephelus daemelii)
    
    Spinycheek grouper (Epinephelus diacanthus)
    
    Speckled hind (Epinephelus drummondhayi)
    
    Dotted grouper (Epinephelus epistictus)
    
    Cloudy grouper (Epinephelus erythrurus)
    
    Rock grouper (Epinephelus fasciatomaculosus)
    
    Barred-chest grouper (Epinephelus faveatus)
    
    Brown-marbled grouper (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus)
    
    Darkmargin grouper (Epinephelus fuscomarginatus)
    
    Multispotted grouper (Epinephelus gabriellae)
    
    Epinephelus geoffroyi (Epinephelus geoffroyi)
    
    Dungat grouper (Epinephelus goreensis)
    
    Red hind (Epinephelus guttatus)
    
    Bridled grouper (Epinephelus heniochus)
    
    Starspotted grouper (Epinephelus hexagonatus)
    
    Blacksaddle grouper (Epinephelus howlandi)
    
    Somali grouper (Epinephelus indistinctus)
    
    Pacifc insular grouper; (Epinephelus insularis)
    
    Marquesan grouper (Epinephelus irroratus)
    
    Epinephelus japonicus (Epinephelus japonicus)
    
    Fivebar grouper (Epinephelus kupangensis)
    
    Starry grouper (Epinephelus labriformis)
    
    Striped grouper (Epinephelus latifasciatus)
    
    Mystery grouper (Epinephelus lebretonianus)
    
    Longspine grouper (Epinephelus longispinis)
    
    Snubnose grouper (Epinephelus macrospilos)
    
    Highfin grouper (Epinephelus maculatus)
    
    Speckled grouper (Epinephelus magniscuttis)
    
    Netfin grouper (Epinephelus miliaris)
    
    White-blotched grouper (Epinephelus multinotatus)
    
    White-streaked grouper (Epinephelus ongus)
    
    Dot-dash grouper (Epinephelus poecilonotus)
    
    Smallscaled grouper (Epinephelus polylepis)
    
    Camouflage grouper (Epinephelus polyphekadion)
    
    White-dotted grouper (Epinephelus polystigma)
    
    Striped-fin grouper (Epinephelus posteli)
    
    Longfin grouper (Epinephelus quoyanus)
    
    Oblique-banded grouper (Epinephelus radiatus)
    
    Red-tipped grouper (Epinephelus retouti)
    
    Halfmoon grouper (Epinephelus rivulatus)
    
    Sixbar grouper (Epinephelus sexfasciatus)
    
    Surge grouper (Epinephelus socialis)
    
    Foursaddle grouper (Epinephelus spilotoceps)
    
    Black-dotted grouper (Epinephelus stictus)
    
    Seamount grouper (Epinephelus suborbitalis)
    
    Summan grouper (Epinephelus summana)
    
    Greasy grouper (Epinephelus tauvina)
    
    Yellowspotted grouper (Epinephelus timorensis)
    
    Threespot grouper (Epinephelus trimaculatus)
    
    Plump grouper (Epinephelus trophis)
    
    Reticulate grouper (Epinephelus tuamotuensis)
    
    Wavy-lined grouper (Epinephelus undulosus)
    
    Mycteroperca - Groupers ->
    
    Cephalopholis - Scaleheaded groupers->
    
    Cromileptes - Humpback groupers->
    
    Hyporthodus - Hyporthodus->
    
    Alphestes - Alphestes->
    
    Variola - Variola->
    
    Anyperodon - Anyperodon->
    
    Gonioplectrus - Gonioplectrus->
    
    Plectropomus - Coral groupers->
    
    Gracila - Gracila->
    
    Aethaloperca - Aethaloperca->
    
    Chromileptes - Chromileptes->
    
    Dermatolepis - Dermatolepis->
    
    Saloptia - Saloptia->
    
    Triso - Triso->
    
    Cebidichthyidae - Cebidichthyidae->
    
    Anthiadidae - Anthiadidae->
    
    Ambassidae - Asiatic glassfishes->
    
    Bathydraconidae - Antarctic dragonfishes->
    
    Bembropidae - Duckbill flatheads->
    
    Bovichtidae - Thornfishes->
    
    Caesionidae - Fusiliers->
    
    Caesioscorpididae - Blowhole perches->
    
    Centracanthidae - Picarels->
    
    Cepolidae - Bandfishes->
    
    Channichthyidae - Crocodile icefishes->
    
    Congrogadidae - Eelblennies->
    
    Datnioididae - Freshwater tripletails->
    
    Dinopercidae - Cavebasses->
    
    Eleginopidae - Patagonian blennies->
    
    Grammatidae - Basslets->
    
    Grammistidae - Soapfishes->
    
    Hapalogenyidae - Barbeled grunters->
    
    Harpagiferidae - Spiny plunderfishes->
    
    Lactariidae - False trevallies->
    
    Latilidae - Deepwater tilefishes->
    
    Leptobramidae - Beachsalmon->
    
    Liopropomatidae - Painted basslets->
    
    Niphonidae - Ara groupers->
    
    Nototheniidae - Cod icefishes->
    
    Opistognathidae - Jawfishes->
    
    Oxylebiinae - Painted greenlings->
    
    Plesiopidae - Roundheads->
    
    Pseudaphritidae - Catadromous icefishes->
    
    Pseudochromidae - Dottybacks->
    
    Ptereleotridae - Dartfishes->
    
    Toxotidae - Archerfishes->
  - Cypriniformes - Carps->
  - Esociformes - Pikes->
  - Salmoniformes - Salmons and Trouts->
  - Siluriformes - Catfishes->
  - Scorpaeniformes - Mail-cheeked fishes->
  - Gasterosteiformes - Sticklebacks->
  - Gadiformes - Cods->
  - Anguilliformes - Eels and morays->
  - Clupeiformes - Herrings->
  - Syngnathiformes - Pipefishes and Seahorses->
  - Gobiiformes - Gobies->
  - Mugiliformes - Mullets->
  - Carangiformes - Jacks->
  - Beloniformes - Needlefishes->
  - Labriformes - Wrasses->
  - Scombriformes - Mackerels->
  - Mulliformes - Goatfishes->
  - Pleuronectiformes - Flatfishes->
  - Aulopiformes - Grinners->
  - Blenniiformes - Blennies->
  - Cyprinodontiformes - Toothcarps->
  - Osmeriformes - Smelts->
  - Centrarchiformes - Basses and sunfishes->
  - Cichliformes - Cichlids->
  - Characiformes - Characins->
  - Osteoglossiformes - Bony tongues->
  - Elopiformes - Tarpons and tenpounders->
  - Anabantiformes - Gouramies and snakeheads->
  - Gymnotiformes - South American knifefish->
  - Istiophoriformes - Barracudas->
  - Albuliformes - Bonefishes->
  - Lepidogalaxiiformes - Salamanderfishes->
  - Lophiiformes - Anglerfishes->
  - Spariformes - Breams and porgies->
  - Trachiniformes - Weeverfishes->
  - Moroniformes - Temperate basses->
  - Acanthuriformes - Surgeonfishes->
  - Zeiformes - Dories->
  - Tetraodontiformes - Puffers and filefishes->
  - Holocentriformes - Squirrelfishes->
  - Dactylopteriformes - Flying gurnards->
  - Lampriformes - Lamprids->
  - Galaxiiformes - Southern smelts->
  - Batrachoidiformes - Toadfishes->
  - Hiodontiformes - Mooneyes->
  - Percopsiformes - Trout-perches->
  - Callionymiformes - Dragonets->
  - Atheriniformes - Silversides->
  - Notacanthiformes - Spiny eels->
  - Saccopharyngiformes - Swallowers and Gulpers->
  - Alepocephaliformes - Slickheads and tubeshoulders->
  - Gonorynchiformes - Milkfishes->
  - Argentiniformes - Marine smelts->
  - Stomiiformes - Lightfishes and dragonfishes->
  - Ateleopodiformes - Jellynose fishes->
  - Myctophiformes - Lanternfishes->
  - Stylephoriformes - Tube-eyes->
  - Polymixiiformes - Beardfishes->
  - Beryciformes - Sawbellies->
  - Trachichthyiformes - Rughies->
  - Ophidiiformes - Cusk-eels->
  - Kurtiformes - Nurseryfishes & Cardinalfishes->
  - Synbranchiformes - Swamp eels->
  - Gobiesociformes - Clingfishes->
  - Acropomatiformes - Oceanic basses->
- Cladistii - Bichirs->
- Dipneusti - Lungfishes->
- Chondrostei - Sturgeons->
- Holostei - Gars and Bowfins->
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous fishes->
Agnatha - Jawless fishes->