Shorefishes of the Eastern Pacific online information system

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Species: Epinephelus labriformis, Flag cabrilla, Starry grouper

All Families:   All Genera:   All Species:

grey-green, pale mottling, white blotches
D: XI, 16-18, 3rd or 4th spine longest, > rays
tail base: dark saddle
scales: 34-40 around tail base, 11-12 above LL

Epinephelus labriformis (Jenyns, 1840)

Flag cabrilla, Starry grouper

Body robust, compressed; end of top jaw exposed; operculum edge with 3 flat spines; preoperculum without spines; 23-26 gill rakers; dorsal fin, XI, 16-18, 3rd  or 4th  spine longest, longer than rays anal fin with III, 8 anal rays; pectoral rays 18-20, usually 19, rarely 18; tail rounded; lateral line complete, ending at tail base, smoothly arched; scales rough, relatively small: 48-51 lateral line scales, 34-40 around tail base, and 11-12 above the lateral line; no small imbedded scales on front of top jaw bone.

Head and body olive green with scattered irregular white spots and blotches; head and front of body with red-brown blotches; a black saddle on upper part of tail base; outer margins of dorsal and anal fins, upper and lower margins of tail fin and outer half of pectoral fin brick red.

Size: to about 60 cm.

Inhabits rocky and coral reefs.

Depth: 1-50 m.

San Diego, California to the Gulf of California to Peru, the Galapagos, Cocos, the Revillagigedos and Malpelo.


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Salinity
  • Marine
  • Marine Only
Inshore/Offshore
  • Inshore Only
  • Inshore
Water Column Position
  • Bottom
  • Bottom only
Habitat
  • Rocks
  • Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
  • Corals
  • Reef only
  • Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
FishBase Habitat
  • Demersal
Feeding Group
  • Data
  • Carnivore
Diet
  • Bony fishes
  • Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
  • Data
  • Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
Egg Type
  • Pelagic larva
  • No data
  • Pelagic
Global Endemism
  • East Pacific endemic
  • Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
  • All species
Regional Endemism
  • Continent
  • TEP endemic
  • Island (s)
  • All species
  • Continent + Island (s)
Residency
  • Resident
Climate Zone
  • Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
  • Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
  • North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
  • Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
IUCN Red List
  • Listed
  • Least concern
CITES
  • Not listed
Length Max
  • 60
Depth Range Min
  • 1
Depth Range Max
  • 50