Orange-spotted Grouper

Common Name(s): Orange-spotted Grouper
Scientific Name: Epinephelus Coioides
Local Name(s): [My]Kerapu
Precaution: Harmless
Edible: Yes
CNR Time: 3 mins

This is one of the most common grouper found locally and can be caught just about anywhere along our coast as well as offshore waters. They can be typically found near rocky shores and reefs but larger ones (>3kg) mostly dwell in deep canals in offshore waters and sometimes come near shores to spawn. They are well adapted to shallow and deep waters.

They are carnivorous feeders and typically eat crustaceans, fishes and squids. Fresh squids are commonly used offshore to target for large groupers while baitfish and prawns are more commonly used in along shores and reef areas. Size of bait does matter when it comes to targeting large groupers. Artificial lures, especially diving ones, work well along shores and reefs for hunting groupers.

For baiting wise, a bottom feeder rig is typically used to fish for groupers. If you're fishing close to a rocky shore, floats might be used to reduce chances of snagging. However, rig must be adjusted so that the bait can sink to near bottom of the rocky sea bed. Reaction must be swift when dealing with groupers, for once they dash back into the rocks when they hit, they often refuse to come back out or that the fishing line may snap due to abrasion from rocks. Take high abrasion into account when choosing leaders for grouper fishing.

This grouper is often confused with the Malabar grouper because the pattern on their body is very similar. If you look closely at the dots on their body, Malabar Groupers have black spots while Orange-spotted Groupers are orange.

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Reference: Fishbase, Fishspecies, RMBR

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