Local names:
Malay: Kerapu merah, Kerapu bara, Sunoh
Cantonese: Dong sing baan, chut sing baan
Hokkien/Teochew: Ang gau
Mandarin: 东星斑
Most red groupers are known as star groupers in Cantonese and mandarin as the many spots are said to resemble the numerous stars in the night sky. Dong sing baan translates to eastern star grouper and this fish is said to come from the eastern part of the South China Sea. This might not be accurate as this species has a wide range across the Indo-pacific.
Fisheries information:
Countries of origin: Indonesia, Malaysia
Fishing methods: Hook and line (Indonesia and Malaysia)
Culinary usage:
Steamed, Soups, Fried, Asam pedas/Gulais
Groupers are particularly revered in Cantonese cuisine and are the top fish of choice for Cantonese/HK steamed fish. This species is one of the most popular fishes for Cantonese/Teochew steamed fish in Chinese restaurants.
When table-sized they are steamed whole. For larger-sized groupers, the fish is either butterflied or filleted before steaming. The fillets can also be cut into slices for sliced fish soup. Groupers have plenty of collagen and the bones and head are used to make soup.
They can also be served fried. In Malay cuisine, groupers are often cooked in asam pedas or other gulais.
How to identify:
Bright red grouper. Has smaller circular blue spots as compared to other similar-looking groupers like the barcheeked coral trout (Plectropomus maculatus) and roving coral grouper (Plectropomus pessuliferus) that have larger and more variable spots. The leopard coral grouper's spots also never extend past the belly.
A head of a large leopard coral grouper. Even when large, the spots remain relatively small and are always uniform in shape and size.
A leopard coral grouper with a roving coral grouper (Plectropomus pessuliferus) near the bottom left. Note that the leopard coral groupers spots never extend past the belly area and are smaller and more uniform in shape and size.