Malabar grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus)

Scientific name: Epinephelus malabaricus Bloch & Schneider, 1801

The Malabar grouper (Epinephelus malabaricus) is a brackish-water fish of the family Serranidae.

Biology

A common species found in a variety of habitats: coral and rocky reefs, tide pools, estuaries, mangrove swamps and sandy or mud bottom from shore to depths of 150 m. Juveniles found near shore and in estuaries; sex reversal probable; catch statistics poor being previously confused with E. andersoni. Feeds primarily on fishes and crustaceans, and occasionally on cephalopods. In Hong Kong live fish markets. Widely used in mariculture mainly in the Far East.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Epinephelus malabaricus
Family: Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets)
Order: Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 234
Common length: 100.0
Depth range: 0–150 m (0–492 ft)
Environment: Marine; brackish; reef-associated; amphidromous; depth range 0 - 150 m
Climate: Tropical
Distribution: Indo-Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Tonga, north to Japan, south to Australia. It is not known from the Persian Gulf, where the closely related Epinephelus coioides is common.
Conservation status (IUCN): Near Threatened (NT), IUCN Grouper and Wrasse Specialist Group
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: highly commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Very Low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026