Family : Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets) , subfamily: Epinephelinae
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Dotted grouper
Fish Name : Epinephelus epistictus
Max size : 80.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 5222); max. published weight: 7,000 g (Ref. 5222)
Environment : demersal ; depth range 71 - 291 m
Climate : tropical; 28°N - 32°S
Global Importance : fisheries: minor commercial
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)Distribution : Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea, Kenya to South Africa; Oman, west coast of India, Korea, Japan including Ogasawara Islands, China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Arafura Sea (Ref. 9819) and northern Australia. Sometimes misidentified as Epinephelus magniscuttis or Epinephelus heniochus.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 11-11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14-15; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8
Biology : Occurs in the continental shelf over soft bottom (Ref. 7300). Also inhabits rocky bottoms. Nothing has been published on its biology
Threatened : Dangerous:  
Dangerous : harmless
Coordinator : Heemstra, Phillip C.
Main Ref : Heemstra, P.C. and J.E. Randall. 1993. (Ref. 5222)

India country information
Common Names : [ No common name ]
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses