Local names:
Malay: Kerapu merah
Cantonese: Hong baan
Hokkien/Teochew: Ang gau
Mandarin: 红斑
Fisheries information:
Countries of origin: Indonesia, Malaysia
Fishing methods: Hook and line (Indonesia and Malaysia)
Less commonly found for sale in Singapore. This is a deeper water species, inhabiting reefs from 40-110m deep.
Culinary usage:
Steamed, Fried, Asam pedas/Gulais
Hinds are not as highly regarded for steaming like other groupers. Like most groupers they can also be fried. In Malay cuisine, groupers are often cooked in asam pedas or other gulais.
How to identify:
Hinds have a pronounced sloping forehead which differentiates them from groupers. The coral hind has a red body with many blue spots on the head and body. It can be mistaken for the strawberry hind (Cephalopholis spiloparaea) but does not have the same mottled skin tone and has smaller blue spots as opposed to larger pink spots.
