Family : Serranidae (Sea basses: groupers and fairy basslets) , subfamily: Epinephelinae
Order : Perciformes  (perch-likes)
Class : Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Fishbase Name : Spinycheek grouper
Fish Name : Epinephelus diacanthus
Max size : 55.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; Ref. 3)
Environment : demersal ; depth range 10 - 300 m
Climate : tropical; 29°N - 5°N
Global Importance : fisheries: commercial
Resilience: Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.21-0.61)Distribution : Indian Ocean: continental shelf of the northern Indian Ocean from the Gulf of Aden to Sri Lanka and Madras, India. Not known from the Persian Gulf nor the Red Sea. Records from the western Pacific are based on misidentifications of Epinephelus stictus or Epinephelus fasciatomaculos.
Diagnosis : Dorsal spines (total): 11-11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 15-17; Anal spines: 3-3; Anal soft rays: 8-8
Biology : Occurs over muddy sand or mud substrata and caught in depths of 63 to 100 m off the Kerala coast
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 : गोबरा, हीकरू, Gobra, Hekaru, Six-barred reef-cod
Status : native
Salinity : marine
Uses : no uses