About Epinephelus tauvina (Forsskål, 1775)
Epinephelus tauvina can grow up to 75 cm (30 inches) in length. Individuals of this species have a wide, upward-facing mouth with relatively thick lips. Their heads and bodies are pale greenish grey or brown, covered in round spots that range in color from orange-red to dark brown. A cluster of black spots may be visible on the body at the rear base of the dorsal fin, and five darker vertical shaded bars may also be present on their bodies. This species is similar to E. corallicola and E. howlandi, but those two species have shorter bodies and less closely spaced spots. Because of past confusion over species identification, much of the older literature (especially literature from before 1984) that references E. tauvina actually refers to other grouper species, including Epinephelus coioides, Epinephelus malabaricus and Epinephelus lanceolatus. The greasy grouper, the common name for Epinephelus tauvina, is distributed in the Red Sea, along the East African coast, east as far as the Pitcairn group, north to Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island. It is not common in Fiji, Tonga, or French Polynesia. This species lives in clear-water areas on coral reefs at depths down to 50 m; juvenile individuals may enter reef flats, tidepools, and mangrove estuaries.
