COMMON NAMES: Blackspot Grouper, Blackspot Honeycomb Grouper, One Blotch Grouper, One Blotch Rock Cod; French Mérou Dossard, Loche Ponctuée

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE e.Africa - Samoa - Cooks; n. to s.Japan; s. to ?

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; PLUS: Rakahanga lagoon (Sims); Marine, near-shore

KEY FEATURES: A small "honeycomb" grouper, to 30cm SL. Thickset (depth 3 in SL), tail round. Close-set large dark polygons with interspaces forming narrow pale lines; similarly on all fins and tail; spots on throat widely spaced; prominent dark blotch as base of last four dorsal-fin spines; all fins and tail with white margins. Dorsal spines XI, upper jaw to a pupil-Ø beyond eye hind-edge; Tail-base stocky, height greater than 2nd Anal-fin spine length. Gill rakers 7-10 + 16-19; lower jaw mid-side teeth in 3-5 rows.

SIMILAR SPECIES: See under Hexagon Grouper (Epinephelus hexagonatus). Most similar to Foursaddle Grouper and Greasy Grouper. Foursaddle Grouper (Epinephelus spilotoceps) has 3-4 dark dorsal botches + one on tail-base (vs one + none); ~5 faint dark diagonal bars (vs no bars); 3-4 irregular rows on small pots on front upper lip (vs 1-2 rows); tail-base slender with height less than 2nd anal-fin spine length (vs longer). Greasy Grouper (Epinephelus tauvina) has polygons with wide pale interspaces, but close-set on all fins and tail; 4 dorsal blotches + 1 on tail-base; 5 faint diagonal bars (vs no bars); upper jaw to an eye-Ø behind rear of eye (vs less than 50% of eye-Ø).