Local names:
Malay: Keretang
Cantonese: Long Daan
Mandarin: 龙躉
This fish is commonly known by the Cantonese name of Long Daan. The meaning of this name translates to something like huge dragon which is fitting given that this is one of the biggest bony fish in the ocean and the largest of the groupers in the Indo-pacific growing up to 270cm long and weighing over 400kg.
This grouper is one of the parent species of the hybrid grouper also known as the dragon tiger grouper. The name comes from its parent species being the brown-marbled grouper aka tiger grouper and the giant grouper also known as the massive dragon (long daan) in Mandarin/Cantonese.
Fisheries information:
Countries of origin: Indonesia (commonly wild-caught from Natuna regency), Malaysia (farmed in Sabah)
Fishing methods: Hook and line if wild-caught. This fish is farmed in some localities.
Culinary usage:
Steamed, Soups, Braised, Stir-fried
This is one of the most expensive fishes that you can find for sale in the market. By the time you see them, they have most likely already been reserved by a fishmonger's regular customers. When a grouper gets this large, every single part has a culinary use. The body is portioned out into different cuts (red meat and white meat) just like a prize cow. The head which is full of collagen is reserved for steaming or soups, the bones are used to make a rich broth and the bone marrow can be eaten raw. The liver, gonads, stomach, throat and innards can all be prepared either steamed, stir-fried or braised and are delicacies in themselves.
Some restaurants specialise in the preparation of giant grouper as not every chef has the experience or gong fu needed to do this fish justice in the kitchen.
These days, giant groupers are served in restaurants at juvenile sizes. These are most definitely farmed fishes. Larger individuals 1.5m and above are almost definitely wild-caught as they take too long to mature for farms.
How to identify:
Most of the time, this grouper can be identified on account of its massive size. It has a barrel-shaped dark brown or greyish body with a mottled pattern of spots sometimes called tiger spots/stripes. These spots and stripes carry on to their fins.
A tail portion of a giant grouper showing characteristic size in comparison to a prawn and the mottling on the fins.