Species: Hyporthodus niphobles, Snowy grouper, Star-studded grouper


Hyporthodus niphobles Gilbert & Starks in Gilbert, 1897
Star-studded grouper, Snowy grouper
Body robust, relatively deep and oval, compressed, deepest at origin of dorsal fin; rear nostril vertically elongate, 2-5 times larger than front nostrils; gill rakers 8-9 + 15-17; dorsal rays XI, second spine longest in adult,13-15; anal rays III, 9; 63-71 lateral line scales.
Adult uniform brown, sometimes with several rows of pale spots along body; juvenile chocolate brown to blackish with a grid pattern of white spots, an black saddle on upper half of tail base; tail fin dark or pale yellow; pectorals clear; pelvics and anal very dark; adults and juveniles with a dark moustache along margin of top jaw.
Size: reaches 121 cm.
Inhabits rocky reefs and adjacent sandy bottoms.
Depth: 1-450 m.
Southern California to the Gulf of California to northern Peru, Malpelo, Cocos and Galapagos.
Note: Previously in the genus Epinephelus.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom only
- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef and soft bottom
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Rocks
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- No Data
- Diet
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- No Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Octopus/squid/cuttlefish
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Pelagic larva
- No data
- Pelagic
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Tropical Eastern Pacific (TEP) endemic
- East Pacific endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- TEP endemic
- Continent
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Northern Tropical (Mexican Province to Nicaragua + Revillagigedos)
- Equatorial (Costa Rica to Ecuador + Galapagos, Clipperton, Cocos, Malpelo)
- Northern Subtropical (Cortez Province + Sinaloan Gap)
- South Temperate (Peruvian Province )
- North Temperate (Californian Province &/or Northern Gulf of California)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Data deficient
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 121
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 450