skip to main content

Sea Life, Animals
& Exhibits

Click/Touch photo to view enlargement.

Miniatus Grouper

(Cephalopholis miniatus)

The Miniatus grouper or Coral grouper has a bright red body with metallic blue spots. The word “grouper” comes from the word for the fish, most widely believed to be from the Portuguese name, “garoupa”.


They inhabit coral reefs in the Indo-Pacific: Red Sea to Durban, South Africa and eastward to the Line Islands; including most islands in the Indian and west-central Pacific oceans.


They are predators equipped with large mouths and many small, sharp teeth, which are mainly used to prevent escape as they swallow their prey whole while crushing bones and exoskeletons with the powerful, pharyngeal teeth that line their throats. They feed mainly on other fishes and crustaceans.


Form a harem which consists of a dominant male and 2 to 12 females. These groups occupy territories of up to 475 sq m subdivided into secondary territories and defended by a single female.


Larger predatory fish and sharks.