Local names:
Malay: Keretang, Kerapu
Cantonese: Cheng baan, Sek baan
Hokkien/Teochew: Orh gau, gau her
Mandarin: 黑石斑，石斑, 青斑
Local fishermen call large groupers tonggas (gas cylinder) for their size and round shape. The orange-spotted grouper is one of the few species in local waters that get to veritable tonggas sizes (up to 120cm and 30kg in weight).
When orange-spotted groupers get to large sizes, they are also sold differently. They start to be marketed as giant groupers even though they are technically not the same species. One of its malay names is Keretang which also is used to refer to the giant grouper.
A tonggas size orange-spotted grouper spotted at Tekka market.
Fisheries information:
Countries of origin: Indonesia, Malaysia
Fishing methods: Hook and line (Indonesia and Malaysia). This fish is farmed in some localities but most of the orange-spotted groupers sold in our wet markets are wild-caught.
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 not as popular as the red groupers but is a good and affordable alternative. It is known for having a good amount of collagen and meat.
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 sliced to be used in sliced fish soup. Groupers have plenty of collagen and the bones and head are used to make soup.
Orange-spotted groupers get to such large sizes that they are sold in the same way as giant groupers. Large orange-spotted groupers heads and meat are sold at a premium. When at this size, the heads contain huge quantities of collagen and are sought after. The innards and stomach are also a delicacy stir-fried or braised.
Heads of large orange-spotted groupers being sold at Chinatown complex wet markets. This market is the only market that regularly has orange-spotted groupers of this size for sale.
Like most groupers, they can also be served fried. In Malay cuisine, groupers are often cooked in asam pedas or other gulais.
How to identify:
Gray or brown coloured grouper with large orange spots and 5 dark vertical bands across body. Body is rounder relative to other groupers.
This is more representative of the usual size that these groupers are sold at. Note the large orange spots and vertical bands that distinguish this species from others.