Family : Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets) , subfamily: Epinephelinae
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Moustache grouper
Fish Name : Epinephelus chabaudi
Max size : 137 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 5213); max. published weight: 55.0 kg (Ref. 40637)
Environment : reef-associated ; depth range 9 - 300 m
Climate : tropical; 15°N - 33°S
Global Importance : fisheries: commercial
Resilience: Very low, minimum population doubling time more than 14 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)Distribution : Western Indian Ocean: Kenya to Knysna, South Africa and the Kerala coast of India; however, there are no records between Kenya and Durban, nor between Kenya and India. Record from Djibouti (Ref. 5450) is doubtful.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 11-11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-14; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-9
Biology : Along the South African coast, it occurs on rocky bottoms at depths of 9 to at least 55 m; off the coast of Kenya it occurs below the major thermocline at 125 to 200; also known from deep waters off the Kerala coast of India at 250 to 300 m. Occurrence off the coasts of Kenya and India appears to be an example of 'tropical submergence' by which temperate species are able to live at tropical latitudes only in the cooler deep-water zone
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 : Modest rockcod
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses