Orange Spotted Grouper, Kerapu Pinang, Epinephelus coioides

Orange Spotted Grouper. Photo Credit: Randall J.E.

Locally, this species were called with many names as in case of other grouper fishes. Kerapu Pinang, Kerapu Balong, Kerapu Rintek and other names.  When I start to get involved with this species back in 1997, the farmers call this fish as Kerapu Pakpanang, probably because the fry of this species were imported from an area of the same name in the neighbouring country. Back then, Orange Spotted Grouper (OSG) was among the important species of groupers that were cultured in this country before the currently cultured species start to gain their popularity among the farmers. However, this species are still being cultured in this country with intended local and export market.

OSG always associated with the coral reef ecology but sometimes also can be found in the brackish water from the depth of 1 meter to 100 meters. They were also found in the brackish estuaries ecosystem especially for the juveniles. This species can be found in the seas of  37°N to 34°S and 28°E  to 180°E which include Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Andaman Sea, Malacca Straits, South China Sea, China Sea and Western Pacific Ocean. There were reports of catches of this fish in the Mediterranean Sea.

Mangrove area at the estuary where OSG can also be found. Photo: Mahmud Ismail

This species fed on fishes, squids and crustaceans. In our waters, the juveniles were found weeks after rainy season were over or weeks after heavy downpour suggesting that the spawning taken place immediately after rainy seasons is over. Some scientists predict that there are spawning aggregasion behaviour for mating time and their eggs floating below the surface level. They were pelagic during larval and juvenile stages. Some other suggest eggs, larval and juveniles were pelagic due to existing of all levels pelagically.


Price of OSG quite stable for the last 3 years. Source: Fish Marketing Organisation HK.



 In the last 3 years, this species enjoyed relatively stable price between HK$105/Catty to HK$131/Catty and the last one week from the date of this posting, this fish were priced between HK$130/ Catty to HK$140/Catty. The price of OSG was much below then our other popular species such as GG, TG, MG and Coral Trout, but always higher than GGG. In the local live fish markets, the ex-farm price were  species still remain good especially for live seafood markets. For me, should the demand for OSG getting bigger and the price is better, or we able to reduce the production costs (with better FCR, genetically improved fry),  this species is the choice for our local aquaculture industry. The researchers from this region has shown their innovation when they manage to mass produce the hybrid of TG and GG in the last few years. Why not do something on this species too? Perhaps an hybrid between OSG with GG?

Common Grouper Fishes Of Malaysia

When I said "common", it is not necessarily real common to all of us. For some grouper species,  we maybe just heard about its name but have no chance to see it in our local market stall or at our nearest supermarket what more to see it alive and taste how delicous its meat can be. However, they are still common in our seas sorrounding Malaysia, be it the Andaman Sea, Melaka Straits, South China Sea. Teberau Straits or Sulu Sea. FAO Species Catalogue (Vol 16 - Groupers of the World) . A field guide to grouper and snapper fishes of Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Family Serranidae, subfamily Epinephelinae, and family Lutjanidae



Malaysia: Production of Grouper Fishes (MT)

 The most common (I believe you have seen it) is the Seven (Six?) Banded Grouper. Normally we saw it in the supermarket. For those who have seen Department of Fisheries's poster on commercial demersal marine fishes, this species are among 45 others. Unfortunately only 2 grouper species were on that poster.  Locally, we call it by various names, but Kerapu Belang  (Strips Grouper) is among the most popular. Though normally small in size when we purchase it in the market, the meat of this fish is nice, very tender and white in colour. It taste great if being steamed with ginger, onion and garlic but also superb to add flavors like sour plum, belimbing buluh or tauchu.

Another common grouper species is Green Grouper, Epinephelus tauvina (a.ka. Kerapu Botol ~Bottle Grouper, Kerapu Hijau~Green Grouper, or even Kerapu Bodoh~Stupid Grouper) especially for those in East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia (Kuala Besut to be more specific). In Kuala Besut, the fry of this species will be in abundance after the rainy season over (sometime in February) and the fry will be caught using special gadget made from jumbles of pine trees leaves (Cucur Atap) called Tumerang. The jumbles of the leaves will be left in the sea nearby the coast line overnight. The fishermen will inspect each jumble and slowly catch the juveniles that use the jumbles as their hiding/aggregating places using scoop. The catches immediately will be given aeration to ensure survivality and will be sold at RM0.15 each to buyers  who distribute it to nursery operators. The juvenile then will be nursed for almost 2.5 months and the fry will be ready to be sell to fish farmers at RM1/inch of the juvenile fish's length.

Kerapu Pinang or Spotted Grouper Epinephelus coioides, was very popular among our local fish farmers back in early 1990s. Though the fish is local to our waters, but most of the fry was imported mainly from neighbouring  countries. This species was considered better option for the farmers than the Green Grouper.

Top:Coral Trout (Kerapu Bara). 

Below: Spotted Grouper (Kerapu Pinang)

Red Grouper or sometimes called Coral Trout, Plectropomus leopardus (Kerapu Bara) is not everyday can be seen in our market especially for the plate size fish. This could be due to high demand of the fish by the seafood restaurants which contracted out the fishes from our local buyers at the landing jetty. Red Grouper is not commonly cultured by our farmers due to the non availability of its fry in our market. However, some farmers did culture this fish with the imported fry.

Coral Trout (Kerapu Bara)

It will be not complete of the list of Malaysian common grouper species without mentioning the Kerapu Kertang (Giant Grouper, Epinephelus lanceolatus, GG). This species is really special, it is always commonly found as a big size fish, at least 5 kilogram or even more. Everytime our fishermen caught the GG, it usually caught the attention by the press. Last August we saw 148 kg GG were caught in Pantai Remis, Perak and were sold at RM8,000 to the restaurant in Ipoh. It can be serve for 400 customers at the restaurant.

I read another news from neighboring country, Singapore where a bowl of GG sperm soup may cost you $3,000 or $50 per spoonful. The restaurant owner purchased a 125 kg Sabah GG which contain a spermduct of 1 kg weight. The GG sperm soup said to give special prowes to men sexuality as well to improve the men sperm count. However, the restaurant owner didn't sell the soup, instead he offered it free to his customers (1 spoonful each) the following night. I hope there will be a lot of grinning happy ladies in Singapore that night, tired looking men the day after and many new born babies 9 months later!

 The used to be very glamorous species, Tiger Grouper (TG)  is common species cultured by Malaysian aquaculturists. This species used to be the preferance by the farmers due to high price it gives but due to "easiness" of propagating it, the price go down a little, so the farmers change into another species especially the newly introduced hybrid species between GG and TG. However, this species remain in Malaysian aquaculture industry due to easy availability of their fry in local market. This species a little bit agressive in behaviour especially during juvenile period but due to domestication process, can easily cultured and proven of a good choice for farmers.

Transporting live Coral Trout (Kerapu Bara) in Semporna Sabah

Surely many of us have heard of the star species, Mouse Grouper, Cromiloptes altivelis . Those living in Sabah, Malaysia might have seen it but perhaps have never had the chance to taste how nice the meat of this fish. It always end up in high end seafood restaurants somewhere far away from Sabah itself. This fish being called by various names in Malaysia but Kerapu Tikus and Mameng are the most popular names given to it. Why mouse? Perhaps it is due to their uniques mouth shape that remind the inventor of the name to the small land based rodent.

 Mouse Grouper

Technology of propagation already in the market but the feeding behaviour of  Mouse Grouper always making it very slow in growing up. It do really show how regal they are, they only eat anything above them and will never try to catch anything below their mouth! So, culturist must really carefull in choosing kind of foods to feed them, perhaps using slow singking kind of feeds. Due to its high price and demand, many studies and researchs has been carried out on this species locally as well as in neighboring countries. The results was good and steady production of this species and help to reduce the pressure on wild stocks.

There are many other Grouper fishes in our waters. I will try to mention about such species especially those with high potential for cultivation and having high demand though they are not commonly landed at our fishing jetties.