How many types of grouper do you know?

Grouper is a special kind of noble fish. Its body shape is rather strange, it is oval and slightly flat, its teeth are thin and pointed, and they look like canine teeth when its mouth is open. There are many types of grouper, such as the eastern star grouper, which is more common in Hainan. Its colors vary, including red, blue and yellow. In addition, there are blue grouper, red-spotted grouper, hawksbill grouper, jewel grouper and so on. Grouper is a carnivore. They don't like to stay in groups and often kill each other when they are hungry.

1. Grouper

The colors of the eastern grouper include blue, red, brown and yellow. Its body is thinner than that of ordinary grouper fish and it has a small head. It has blue eyes with black pupils and its body is covered with fine white spots, resembling stars in the sky, hence the name "star spots". The word "Dong" is because it originates from the Dongsha Islands in eastern China.

2. Blue Grouper

The posterior edge of the bone is finely serrated, and the operculum has two flat spines. The body is covered with fine ctenoid scales, the lateral line is parallel to the dorsal edge, the back of the body is brown, the ventral side is light brown with orange-yellow spots scattered all over the body, there are 5 dark brown horizontal bands on the side of the body, bands 1 and 2 are closely connected, bands 3 and 4 are located between the dorsal fin rays and the anal fin rays, band 5 is located on the caudal peduncle, the dorsal fin rays are strong, and the anal fin is located below the dorsal fin rays; the pelvic fins are located on the chest; the caudal fin is round. All fins are gray-brown, and the edges of the dorsal fin rays and the trailing edge of the tail are yellow.

3. Red-spotted grouper (Epinephelus erythematosus)

The red-spotted grouper is found in the western North Pacific. China produces it in the South China Sea and the southern East China Sea, with higher production in the coastal areas of Guangdong. The red-spotted grouper is generally 20 cm long and has a body shape similar to that of the blue grouper, but has no longitudinal and transverse bands on the sides of the body. There are three spines on the posterior edge of the gill cover, the posterior edge of the preoperculum is serrated, the lateral line is obvious and straight, the dorsal fin and pectoral fin are yellow; the caudal fin is arc-shaped, the upper half is yellow, and the lower half is brown

4. Jewel Grouper

The jewel grouper is generally 25 to 30 cm long, and its body and all fins except the pectoral fins are covered with jewel-like spots. There are red stripes on the pectoral fins, and the caudal fin is shallowly concave with white edges. It is a warm-temperate middle and lower layer fish, mostly living in sea areas with rocky reef bottoms. It has a sex-changing nature, first female and then male. Growth is relatively slow. Grouper is ferocious and alert. It is mainly carnivorous and likes to eat fish, shrimp and crabs. It does not like to live in groups and will kill each other when hungry. The jewel grouper is distributed in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, and is produced in the South China Sea in China. Artificial cage farming is carried out in many provinces of my country.

5. Giant grouper

The scientific name is giant grouper, also known as pig lamb grouper, which is a warm water marine bottom fish belonging to the order Perciformes, family Epinephelinae, subfamily Epinephelinae, and genus Epinephelus. It has an oblong body, is flattened laterally, and has a large mouth. There are many blue-black spots scattered on the head, sides of the body, and fins. It is a large and precious edible fish. In natural waters, adult fish are generally 60 to 70 cm long, with a maximum length of up to 2 meters. They generally weigh around 30 to 40 kg, and the larger ones can reach over 100 to 160 kg. According to records, in July 1999, Hong Kong fishermen captured a female giant grouper weighing 180 kilograms alive in the Dongsha Islands. It was regarded as the king of giant groupers.