Epinephelus areolatus, FRLM 30633, 19.9 cm SL
Epinephelus areolatus (Forsskål, 1775)
Areolate grouper
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D XI, 15 - 17; A III, 7 - 8; P1 17 - 19; LLp 49 - 53; GR 8 - 10 + 14 - 16. Body moderately elongate, the depth 2.8 - 3.3 in SL. Caudal fin slightly convex in juvenile, truncate or emarginate in adults; pectoral fins relatively long, 1.5 - 1.8 in head, longer than pelvic fins. Scales on body ctenoid except thorax and ventrally on abdomen; maxilla with very small scales. Color: head, body and fins pale, covered with numerous close-set roundish to polygonal brown to yellowish brown spots, the largest about pupil size, those on front of head smaller than those on operculum. Pectoral fins pale, with small dark spots on the rays. Posterior edge of caudal fin with distinct white margin. Size: maximum length about 40 cm. Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: South Africa to Fiji, north to Japan, south to northern Australia. Remarks: usually found in seagrass beds or on fine sediment bottoms near rocky reefs, dead coral, or alcyonarians, in shallow continental shelf waters; depth range 6 - 200 m. Juveniles are common at water depths to 80 m.
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