Leopard coralgrouper

📖 Overview

Inhabit coral-rich areas of lagoon reefs and mid-shelf reefs . Solitary . Inactive at night, hiding under ledges . Juveniles have a demersal existence in shallow water in reef habitats, especially around coral rubble . Adults feed mainly on fish , juveniles feed on small fish and invertebrates such as crustaceans and squid . A protogynous hermaphrodite . Form several spawning aggregations on a reef occurring around the new moon . Eggs float just below the surface . Larvae are pelagic . P. leopardus is used in cage culture; P. maculatus in Ref. 3081 was probably a mixture of P. maculatus and P. leopardus; the Plectropomus sp. used for the experiments reported in Capra et al., 1988 consisted predominantly of P. leopardus, with some P. maculatus (M.F. Capra, pers. comm.). On the Great Barrier Reef, its maximum lifespan is 14 years .

🔬 Taxonomy

🐟 Physical Description

Dorsal spines (total): 7 - 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 10 - 12; Anal spines: 3; Anal soft rays: 8. This species is distinguished by the following characters: D VIII,11; A III,8; pectoral rays 14-17 (modally 16); lateral line scales 89-99, in longitudinal series 112-127 scales; interorbital space no embedded scales; gill rakers on first gill arch developed 1-3 + 6-10; front of jaws with a pair of large canine teeth and side of lower jaw with 1-4 large canines; body elongate, its greatest depth 2.9-3.6 in SL; truncate to slightly emarginate caudal fin; pectoral fins 2.0-2.3 in HL; pelvic fins 2.0-2.4 in HL; Head, body and fins with numerous blue spots on red, pale grey or olive to dark brown background; caudal fin with a narrow white posterior margin except near the corners; juveniles (< 5 cm) brown on upper 2/3 of side with scattered blue spots, broad whitish stripe from eye to caudal fin base, white on lower head and yellowish ventrally on side . : fusiform / normal; Cross section: oval.

🌀 Behaviour

Behavioural data for Leopard coralgrouper is currently being reviewed.

🦐 Diet

Leopeard coral groupers are largely piscivores (fish-eating predators). Younger juvenile trout mostly eat crustaceans, especially prawns, which live on or near the reef bottom. However, adults feed upon a variety of reef fish. The most common type of fish eaten is damselfish (family Pomacentridae), particularly the spiny chromis damselfish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus). Adult coral trout also eat juveniles of their own species. Individual coral trout usually feed once every 1–3 days, although they may go for many days without feeding. About 90% of a prey item will be digested within 24 hours. This species only feeds during daylight hours, most often at dusk and dawn. Coral trout hunt by ambush and by prowling. They use the ambush method to hunt fish that live among the coral on the reef bottom. The trout hide and remain very still and alert, ready to attack passing prey. The prowling method is used to hunt schooling fish higher up in the water. Here, the trout will move (prowl) slowly towards the prey and attack at great speed. Individual coral trout have different feeding behaviors, possibly explaining the variability in growth and maturity. Coral trout in the southern Great Barrier Reef feed mainly on parrot fish (family Scaridae) and hardyhead bait fish (family Atherinidae). The most common prey items further north are the damselfish (Pomacentridae) and fusiliers or banana fish (Caesionidae). One study showed coral trout eating schools of fusilers in summer, and scarids during the winter. This seasonal variation is quite common in the diet of coral trout due to varying abundances of prey at different times of the year. Trout also tend to eat more food in winter, possibly to increase fat stores in preparation for reproduction in spring. They sometimes engage in cooperative hunting with the giant moray (Gymnothorax javanicus), the humphead wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), or the big blue octopus (Octopus cyanea).

🥚 Reproduction

A monandric species but now confirmed for diandry . Estimated size at sex change occurs at 32.1 cm TL and 16 years of age . Courtship behavior: a male approaches 1 or more females from behind, changing color from dark brown to brownish white while the edges of median fins remained dark. As the male gets near, it flicks its dorsal and pelvic fins eliciting a mild lateral display from the female. The male rolls onto its side and shakes from side to side as its abdomen passes the female. Takes 15 seconds .

🌍 Habitat & Distribution

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 100 m . Tropical; 24°C - ? ; 35°N - 30°S, 99°E - 178°W recorded from Tonga (Ref.

🌿 Ecology

📐 Morphometrics

🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance

🛡️ Conservation Assessment

📊 Population Risk & Fisheries

🍽️ Edibility & Flavour

"Leopard coralgrouper is an edible species."

⚡ Nutrition

Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central

🔬 Mercury Safety

Mercury data for Leopard coralgrouper has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.

🌿 Sustainability

🌐 Names & Taxonomy

Scientific Synonyms

🐠 Related Species

🔍 Similar Species

🗺️ Global Occurrence Map

Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 3 records indexed .

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