Barcheek Coral Trout, Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch 1790)


Other Names: Bar Cheek Coral Trout, Bar-cheek Coral Trout, Bar-cheeked Coral Trout, Bar-cheeked Trout, Coral Cod, Coral Trout, Coral-trout, Island Coral Trout, Leopard Cod, Leopard Fish, Leopard Trout, Spotted Coralgrouper, Spotted Coraltrout, Spotted Coral-trout

A Barcheek Coral Trout, Plectropomus maculatus, at Bitung, Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia. Source: Mark Rosenstein / iNaturalist. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:
A red, pale greyish or olive to dark brown coral trout with small blue spots on the head, body and fins. Some spots on the head and anterior body are horizontally elongate forming dashes. Small juveniles are greyish-brown above with scattered black spots, a broad white midlateral stripe, and a dark stripe below from the snout to the lower part of the tail.

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. 2018, Plectropomus maculatus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 04 Oct 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4519

Barcheek Coral Trout, Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch 1790)

More Info


Distribution

Shark Bay area, Western Australia, to Moreton Bay, Queensland; also Cocos (Keeling) Islands; tropical, west Pacific.
Typically inhabits coastal and nearshore reefs, often in turbid or silty waters (absent from clear offshore reefs).

Biology

A protogynous hermaphrodite, with individuals changing sex from male to female during their life cycle. In eastern Australia, the Barcheek Coral Trout hybridises with the Common Coral Trout, Plectropomus leopardus.

Fisheries

Barcheek Coral Trout  are fished both commercially and recreationally over most of their distribution range including for the Live Fish Reef Fish Trade.

Species Citation

Bodianus maculatus Bloch 1790, Naturgesch. ausländ. Fische. 4: 48, pl. 228. Type locality: Japan (type locality possibly East Indies).

Author

Bray, D.J. 2018

Resources

Australian Faunal Directory

Barcheek Coral Trout, Plectropomus maculatus (Bloch 1790)

References


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Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21.

Allen, G.R. & Swainston, R. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A field guide for anglers and divers. Perth, WA : Western Australian Museum vi 201 pp., 70 pls. 

Bloch, M.E. 1790. Naturgeschichte der ausländischen Fische. Berlin : J. Morino Vol. 4 128 pp. pls 217-252.

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de Mitcheson, Y.S. & M. Liu, 2008. Functional hermaphroditism in teleosts. Fish & Fisheries 9:1-43.
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Ferreira, B.P. 1993. Reproduction of the inshore coral trout Plectropomus maculatus (Perciformes:Serranidae) from the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Journal of Fish Biology 46(6): 831-844.

Ferreira, B.P. & Russ, G.R. 1992. Age, growth and mortality of the inshore coral trout Plectropomus maculatus (Pisces:Serranidae) from the central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 43: 1301-1312.

Frisch, A. & van Herweeden, L. 2006. Field and experimental studies of hybridization between coral trouts, Plectropomus leopardus and Plectropomus maculatus. Journal of Fish Biology 68: 1013-1025.

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp.

Heemstra, P.C. & Randall, J.E. 1993. Groupers of the World (Family Serranidae, Subfamily Epinephelinae). An annotated and illustrated catalogue of grouper, rockcod, hind, coral grouper and lyretail species known to date. FAO Fisheries Synopsis No. 125 Vol. 16. Rome: FAO. pp. 1-382 

Heemstra, P.C. & Randall, J.E. 1999. Family Serranidae. pp. 2442-2548 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds) The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. 

Hoese, D.F., Bowling, J., Russell, B. & Randall, J.E. 1981. A preliminary revision of Australian species of Coral Trout of the genus Plectropomus. Occasional Report of the Australian Museum 2: 1-28.

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Pratchett, M.S., Cameron, D.S., Donelson, J. et al. 2017. Effects of climate change on coral grouper (Plectropomus spp.) and possible adaptation options. Rev Fish Biol Fisheries 27: 297. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11160-016-9455-9

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Quick Facts


CAAB Code:37311012

Biology:Able to change sex

Conservation:IUCN Least Concern

Depth:5-50 m

Fishing:Commercial, recreational fish

Habitat:Reef associated

Max Size:125 cm TL

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Species Maps

CAAB distribution map