About Epinephelus costae (Steindachner, 1878)
The gold-blotch grouper, scientifically named Epinephelus costae (Steindachner, 1878), reaches a maximum standard length of 1.4 meters. Juvenile gold-blotch groupers are striped and have a strikingly different appearance from adult fish. Because of this difference, they were classified as a separate species until 1882. This species lives in shallow coastal waters, most commonly found at depths less than 80 meters, but it can sometimes go as deep as 200 meters.
