Local names:
Malay: Kerapu merah, Kerapu bara, Sunoh
Cantonese: Zhyuu sing baan
Hokkien/Teochew: Ang gau
Mandarin: 珠星斑
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. Zhyuu sing baan translates to pearl star grouper likely in reference to the large round spots on its face and body.
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 often mistaken for the same species and sold as the leopard coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus) which is one of the most popular fishes for steaming 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 thin slices to be used in 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 with blue spots. Often mistaken for the leopard coral grouper but has larger blue spots and vertical dashes which are more obvious in larger individuals. The spots and dashes also often extend further down the body past its belly.
Note the vertical dashes in these larger individuals.
At smaller sizes, they can be hard to distinguish from leopard coral groupers (Plectropomus leopardus) but the non-uniform sizes of the spots with some looking more like dashes, gives them away.
