Grouper ID...no pic yet though

JustinReef

JustinReef

New member
I am looking for an ID. I have a 10" grouper in QT that was sold as a Miniatus grouper but Im pretty sure is not. He is a very bright red with purple spots. Very close to Cephalopholis miniata but definitely different IMO. The biggest difference would be his tail. Not rounded like a Miniatus. The best I can describe it as is "lyretail" shaped.

I have found so many groupers that look similar searching the web for hours but can't find a match.

Just trying to decide if he can go in my 240G eventually or will need to go to my brother. Man, my brother only bought three of the fish in his tank and I have stocked the rest by giving him all the fish that outgrow my tanks!

I really hope I can keep this guy though, hes so cool. Just such a beautiful fish that doesn't hide much and is calm and cool. I had my hands in his 90G QT today to clean under his PVC. I was within about an inch of him and he didn't even move away. Just watched very carefully.

Looks like hes going to be a big boy though!
 
These are the closest pics I could find:

CD065003.jpg


coralgrouper.jpg


He is a deeper red though and not so orange. He also has a lot more spots than the full shot. he could just be from a different region though.

Both of these were labeled as Coral Grouper. But I have seen Miniatus called Coral Groupers too.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13375395#post13375395 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by T-T-Trigger
ahhhhhhh a challenge! I assume you eliminated whitemargin lyretail and louti from your list?


brb...
Click to expand...

I thought Louti for a while but I dont think so.

I only have my camera phone right now but I will take pics tomorrow anyways.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13375415#post13375415 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by T-T-Trigger
initial guess based on 1) lyretail 2) (dense) purple spots 3) deep red color:

Variola albimarginata

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6478

occam's razor and all that...



i really like that fish. rare compared to the louti, and small enough to keep in a home tank.
Click to expand...

I think you may be on to something here!

If the spots change color, this could be it. Most of the Variola albimarginata have different spots than mine. But mine is still "just" 10".

Looks really close though. I kind of hope so because that would be 2' max size.
 
Actually the LFS I got him from had no idea what to label him as. They said they had never had one like him before. They had him for about a month before I got him. I have had him about a month also. Hes doing great but I want him out of the 90G.

The LFS didn't know what to sell him for so just went with $29 to get him out of the store.

I don't know where they got the 2' size from but they may have been right. I think they just really wanted me to take him. It was a rare impulse buy for me.

Also, he is getting some yellow on the ends of his fins. Especially his tail.
 
Sounds like you need to get out of the condo and into a house where you can get a "big enough" tank!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13375626#post13375626 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by LisaD
Sounds like you need to get out of the condo and into a house where you can get a "big enough" tank!
Click to expand...

Yeah I think so! We are looking at a house now actually. The market here is slowly cooling down and prices are finally starting to drop a little. I wish they would go down a little faster :rolleyes: This city is still so overpriced and the demand is quite high still for homes.

But we are looking to sell the condo in the city and maybe buy a house outside the city for about the same cost. If we do, part of the deal is a much bigger tank of course! I have my eyes on a 540G tank someone here has been trying to sell for about a year now.
 
The grouper has gone into my display this morning and looks great! I wanted to make sure he went in with lights out with just room lights on.

Hes already swimming along side the Niger which is cool. Not a very shy fish at all.
 
Got pics? Sounds like it's either V. albimarginata or it could be Plectropomus maculatus which gets pretty large. Probably the former though...
 
No pics yet but I will get some.

I was looking at Plectropomus maculatus and hoping thats not it. Otherwise I don't know if even my brother tank would really be big enough for it. We'll see. It looks more like V. albimarginata from the pictures I have seen but so many of them look very similar.
 
I really can't find many pics of one that has the same color spots as mine. They really are quite purple. The two pics above I think are the fish I have.
 
Yeah, a lot of them look very similar and to make matters worse nearly all are called 'coral trout', 'coral cod', or some generic name like that. It can be tricky finding the right ID. Can't wait to see pics, sounds like a really sweet fish.
 
Well it may be a few more days for a pic. My fiance is out of town with the camera and I can't get the pics off my phone because I have no USB cord. I think its somewhere in the house but I have no idea where. I will look...

Man I was really hoping to get pics up today and try to get an ID. Hes such s cool fish!
 
Sorry still no pics.

BUT....after seeing him under halides today for the first time (his QT was very dark), I am 99% sure he is Variola albimarginata or White Edge Lyretail Grouper. Actually Im 99.9% sure...LOL
 
Ok, this is not him or my pic but this is exactly the same!

Mine does not have much yellow yet but you can see it coming in.

LyretailGrouper.jpg
 
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