Relevant synonyms None Misidentification None Meristic formula D,XI+15-17; A, III+8; P, 16-18 ; V, I+5; LL, 48-54  photo : P. Lelong

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body moderately elongated slightly compressed. Large head, 2.3-2.6 times in standard length. Large mouth, its jaws reaching back well beyond vertical of eye, Upper head profile moderately convex. Preopercular bone gently rounded and serrated, the serrae at angle larger than those in the upper part. Three flat apines near the upper-posterior corner of the operculum. Continuous dorsal fin, the interspinous membrane of the first 9-10 spines incised. The posterior margin of all fins is rounded. color : head and body covered with large, round close-set grey, dark brown to brown-reddish spots on off-white or light grey background. All fins covered with spots, becoming somewhat smaller at their margins. size : common 10-25 cm (max. 30 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Epinephelus coioides: small orange spots and 18-20 pectoral rays. Epinephelus malabaricus: small black and white spots and 18-20 pectoral rays Other serranids in the Mediterranean: lack of close-set spots on the body and fins forming network pattern. Other families: lack of three flat spines on the operculum. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Spends its entire life in small area. Young specimens feed mainly on crustaceans, and to a lesser extent, on fishes; adults feed chiefly on fish. Protogynous hermaphrodite that changes from female to male when reaching 15-16 cm total length. Spawns during full moon. Eggs and larvae planktonic. habitat : shallow waters, coral reefs and lagoons. Usually found down to 20 m, very rarely down to 50 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD 2004, France. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Indo-Pacific distribution but not in the Red Sea. Mediterranean : a single specimen recorded in north-western basin. ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very rare. speculated reasons for success : MODE OF INTRODUCTION Aquarium escapee. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None in the Mediterranean but in its original distribution considered as an important species in artisanal fishery.

KEY REFERENCES Heemstra, P.C. and Randall, J.E. 1993. FAO species catalogue. Vol.16. Groupers of the world. (Family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of the groupers, rockcod hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis, 125(16), 1–382 +31 pl. Lelong, P. 2005. Capture dun macabit, Epinephelus merra Bloch, 1793 (Poisson, Serranidae), en Méditerranée nord-occidentale. Marine Life 15(1-2): 63-66. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002