Blacktip grouper

Epinephelus fasciatus

Fish
IUCN: Least concern

Usual depth6–25 m
Water temperature20–30 °C
Best monthsApril, May, and June
How commonCommon

Photo credit: (c) Georgina Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist

About this species

The blacktip grouper, also known as the redbanded grouper, blacktipped cod, black-tipped rockcod, footballer cod, red-barred cod, red-barred rockcod, scarlet rock-cod or weathered rock-cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the grouper family Epinephelidae. It is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region.

Text from the Wikipedia article “Blacktip grouper”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

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Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 303 records
February: 328 records
March: 337 records
April: 595 records
May: 471 records
June: 463 records
July: 291 records
August: 278 records
September: 350 records
October: 394 records
November: 243 records
December: 189 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 6–25 m · Deepest record: 197.5 m

0–10 m: 325 records
10–20 m: 857 records
20–30 m: 605 records
30–40 m: 61 records
40–50 m: 12 records
50–60 m: 13 records
60–70 m: 4 records
70–80 m: 1 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 4 records
110+ m: 3 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of 20–30 °C

20–22 °C: 6 records
22–24 °C: 15 records
24–26 °C: 41 records
26–28 °C: 117 records
28–30 °C: 245 records

Photos

Names and classification

English: Blacktip grouper, Banded Reed Cod, Banded Rock Cod, blacktip grouper, Blacktip Grouper, Redbanded grouper, Black-tipped Cod, Blacktipped Cod, blacktipped grouper, Black-tipped Grouper, Black-tipped Rock-cod, Black-tipped Rockcod, Blacktip Rockcod, bluetipped rockcod, footballer cod, golden grouper, Red Banded Grouper, Red Banned Grouper, Red-barred Cod, Redbarred Roccod, Red-barred Rock-cod, Red-barred Rockcod, Rock Cod, Scarlet Rock-cod, Striped Grouper, Weathered Rock-cod

Names in 8 more languages

German: Baskenmützen-Zackenbarsch
Spanish: falso abadejo, jabali, Mero Banderilla, Mero Escarlata
Filipino: Alatan, Kaltang, Kulapo, Lapu-lapung lupot, Lubo, Sigapo
French: Badeche, bodèche, Erou Oriflamime, Grisette, Grisette, Loche rouge, Sorte de loche, Loche écarlate, Loche Escarlate, Loche Rouge, Merou A Capuchon, Merou Badeche, Mérou oriflamime, Rouge de côte, Rougette, Merou Oriflamme, mérou oriflamme, Rouge De Cote, Rougette, Sorte De Loche, Vieille Rouge
Japanese: Akahata, アカハタ
Korean: 홍바리
Thai: ปลากะรังแดง
Simplified Chinese: 條紋鮨, 横条石斑鱼, 橫帶石斑魚, 橫條石斑魚, 石斑, 紅斑, 紅鷺鷥, 赤石斑魚, 關公鱠, 黑邊石斑魚

Other scientific names: Cerna alexandrina, Epinephalus alexandrinus, Epinephalus fasciatus, Epinephelus alexandrinus, Epinephelus emoryi, Epinephelus marginalis, Epinephelus tsirimenara, Epinephelus variolosus, Epinephelus zapyrus, Epinephilus fasciatus, Holocentrus erythraeus, Holocentrus forskael, Holocentrus marginatus, Holocentrus oceanicus, Holocentrus rosmarus, Perca fasciata, Perca maculata, Plectropoma fasciata, Serranus alexandrinus, Serranus cruentus, Serranus fasciatus, Serranus geometricus, Serranus marginalis, Serranus oceanicus, Serranus subfasciatus, Serranus tsirimenara, Serranus variolosus

Similar species

Honeycomb grouper
Epinephelus merra
Areolate grouper
Epinephelus areolatus
Garrupa
Epinephelus coeruleopunctatus
Orange-spotted grouper
Epinephelus coioides
Brown-marbled grouper
Epinephelus fuscoguttatus
Starspotted grouper
Epinephelus hexagonatus

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
4,586 open-data records from 1775 to 2023.
Species data updated October 26, 2026.

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