Strawberry Grouper, also called Strawberry Hind, Strawberry Rock Cod, Strawberry Cod, or Orange Rock Cod, is a type of marine fish.
Its scientific name is Cephalopholis spiloparaea. This fish belongs to the same family as anthias and sea basses, called Serranidae.
You can find this fish in the Indo-Pacific region. It’s common on coral reefs deeper than 40 meters (131 feet).
This species mostly lives around islands except for some found in Pinda, Mozambique. Strawberry grouper feeds on crabs and other crustaceans.
They are usually tiny and live in deep water.
This makes them less likely to be caught by fishing. Strawberry groupers are solitary creatures, meaning they don’t form groups with other fish.
Also, they are not safe for reef aquariums.
Strawberry Grouper Interesting Facts
- Strawberry grouper, a marine fish, belongs to the Serranidae family and is found in the Indo-Pacific region on coral reefs deeper than 40 meters.
- They eat crabs and crustaceans, are usually small, less than 8.7 inches (22 cm), and live solitarily in deep waters, making them less likely to be caught by fishing.
- These fish grow up to 11.8 inches (30.0 centimeters) long with pinkish-red or reddish-orange coloring and unique fin patterns; their large eyes have scaly upper jawbones extending past their rear edges.
- Their bodies have toothed scales on most parts, smooth belly areas, rounded tail fins, and large pelvic fins compared to head size.
Strawberry Grouper Habitat
Strawberry grouper lives in the Indo-Pacific region, from Mozambique to French Polynesia, and from Japan’s Ryukyu Islands down to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
This fish can be found in reef environments at depths of 15 to 108 meters (49 to 354 feet), typically between 30 to 108 meters (98 to 354 feet).
It doesn’t migrate and thrives in tropical waters. Sometimes it’s mistakenly identified as Cephalopholis aurantia or its junior synonym, Cephalopholis analis.
| Water Temperature: | Unknown |
| Water pH: | Unknown |
| Water Hardness: | Unknown |
Strawberry Grouper Physical Characteristics
Size: 11.8 inches (30.0 centimeters)
Strawberry grouper grows up to 11.8 inches (30.0 centimeters) long. It has 9 dorsal spines, 14 to 16 dorsal soft rays, 3 anal spines, and 9 to 10 anal soft rays.
The fish is pinkish-red or pale reddish-orange with darker red or brownish-red patterns. Its fins have thin blue edges.
The body has scales that are ctenoid (toothed) on most parts and smooth on the belly area.
The body depth of this fish is about 2.7 to 3.2 times smaller than its total length, and the tail fin is rounded. The pelvic fins are relatively large compared to its head size.
The eyes of strawberry grouper are big, and the space between them is flat.
It has a rounded bone structure near its gills with very fine serrations and a shallow notch at the bottom edge which is fleshy in texture; other bones around it may be smooth or serrated as well.
This fish also has a scaly upper jawbone that extends back past the eye’s rear edge.
Strawberry Grouper Reproduction
Strawberry Grouper Scientific Classification
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Serranidae |
| Genus: | Cephalopholis |
| Scientific Name: | Cephalopholis spiloparaea |
| Also Known As: | Strawberry Grouper, Strawberry Hind, Strawberry Rock Cod, Strawberry Cod, Orange Rock Cod |
| Conservation Status: | Least Concern |