Sealife guideThe red hind grouperEpinephelus guttatus
Last updated on 09/02/2025 at 12:22 AM
Taxonomy
English names
Red hind grouperRed hind
French namesMérou couronné
Spanish namesCabrilla colorada
Scientific nameEpinephelus guttatus (Linnaeus, 1758)
FamilyEpinephelidae
OrderPerciformes
ClassActinopterygii
Description
The red hind grouper has a distinctive appearance, usually beige to brown in color, with numerous red or brown spots covering its entire body and the base of its fins.

The red hind grouper (Epinephelus guttatus) © Rob Atherton | Dreamstime.com
Geographic range
The red hind grouper primarily inhabits tropical and subtropical waters of the western Atlantic ocean, notably along the coasts of Florida, in the Caribbean sea and in the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat
The red hind grouper is often found in the shallow waters of coral reefs and rocky areas, where it hides in crevices and cavities.
Diet
The red hind grouper feeds mainly on small fish, crabs and shrimp, ambushing its prey from coral reef hiding spots.
Did you know ?
The red hind grouper is listed as many other marine species within The IUCN Red List of threatened species. The red hind grouper appears in the IUCN Red List since 2018 within the category Least Concern !

The red hind grouper (Epinephelus guttatus)
Within the same genus

Atlantic Goliath GrouperEpinephelus itajara

Blacktip grouperEpinephelus fasciatus

Brown-marbled grouperEpinephelus fuscoguttatus

Giant grouperEpinephelus lanceolatus

Honeycomb grouperEpinephelus merra

Malabar grouperEpinephelus malabaricus

Nassau grouperEpinephelus striatus

Red grouperEpinephelus morio
Within the same family

ConeyCephalopholis fulva

Darkfin hindCephalopholis urodeta

Gag grouperMycteroperca microlepis

GraysbyCephalopholis cruentata

Pacific creolefishCephalopholis colonus

Peacock grouperCephalopholis argus

Redmouth grouperAethaloperca rogaa

Tomato grouperCephalopholis sonnerati
Discover also

Atlantic sailfishIstiophorus albicans

Latticed butterflyChaetodon rafflesii

Longfin batfishPlatax teira

Ornate wrasseThalassoma pavo

Pyramid butterflyfishHemitaurichthys polylepis

Queen triggerfishBalistes vetula

Target shrimp gobyCryptocentrus strigilliceps

White-spotted pufferArothron hispidus
The marine species in the Caribbean
Dive centers
Our latestUpdates

Major movesThe 2026 Route du Rhum enters a decisive phase as Tom Laperche extends his lead in the Ultim class, Armel Le Cléac'h capsizes, and Class40 skippers prepare to face a powerful weather front.Read more

A tough startThe 2026 Route du Rhum gets off to an intense start, with major technical failures, Francis Joyon's capsize, impressive speeds and strategic route choices near the Azores. A look back at the first 48 hours of racing.Read more

A smooth start, an uncertain AtlanticDiscover the 2026 Route du Rhum start off Saint-Malo, where favorable initial conditions contrast with an uncertain Atlantic crossing shaped by changing winds and weather.Read more
Photo of the Day

Méduse pélagique
(Pelagia noctiluca)
(Pelagia noctiluca)











