Local names:
Malay: Kerapu
Cantonese: Sek baan
Hokkien/Teochew: Gau her
Mandarin: 石斑
Fisheries information:
Countries of origin: Indonesia, Malaysia
Fishing methods: Hook and line (Indonesia and Malaysia)
Less commonly found for sale in Singapore.
Culinary usage:
Fried, Asam pedas/Gulais
Unlike most other groupers which can be steamed, this grouper is normally not used for steaming and is fried. In Malay cuisine, groupers are often cooked in asam pedas or other gulais.
How to identify:
Pale grey grouper with black spots on the body. Looks similar to the mouse grouper (Cromileptes altivelis) but has a normal sized head and no 'humpback'. It is commonly sold at smaller sizes but can also be found at large sizes at the Jurong Fishery Port.
In the middle of the photo are 2 large coral groupers in comparison to several other grouper species. This species is seldom sold at such a large size.
Coral grouper (bottom) in comparison with an orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides, above)