COMMON NAMES: Highfin Grouper, Trout Cod, Spotted Grouper, High-fin Grouper; German Hochflossen-Zackenbarsch; French Mérou Haute Voile, Loche Uitoe

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Hāloa (TS), Hāroa (TW)

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Cocos - Samoa - ?Cooks; n. to s.Japan; s. to Lord Howe

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Native; Native, possible fieldsighting Rakahanga lagoon (1980s). PLUS: Rakahanga lagoon (Sims); Marine, near-shore; outer reef-slope 2-100m.

KEY FEATURES: A large "honeycomb grouper" to 45cm SL. Thickset (depth 3 in SL), tail rounded, upper jaw to less than pupil-Ø beyond eye hind-edge. Spinous Dorsal Fin forward half elevated 50%; spinous Dorsal hind section with interspine membrane barely lowered. Upper jaw barely reaching eye hind-margin. Dorsal blotches are white anterior to Dorsal, followed by black, white and black - the white junvenile blotches fade with age, while the black blotches appear in adults (25+cm SL); adults have close-set dark polygons on most of body, fins and tail. Dorsal spines XI, lower mid-side teeth in 2 rows, Gill Rakers 8-10 + 15-17, 2nd Anal-fin spine shorter than 3rd.

SIMILAR SPECIES: For other "honeycomb groupers" see under Hexagon Grouper (Epinephelus hexagonatus). The elevated anterial Dorsal Fin separates this species from all "honeycomb groupers".