Eightbar Grouper

Distinguished by the following characteristics: body buff with 8 broad dark brown bars; blackish brown pelvic fins and distal half of the soft dorsal and anal fins; faint dark band from eye to the middle opercle spine; presence of blackish maxillary streak; minute melanophores covering gill rakers and gill arches; depth of body contained 2.2-2.7 times in SL; head length 2.4-2.5 times in SL; distinctly convex interorbital area, convex dorsal head profile; angular preopercle, enlarged serrae at angle; 0-3 small spines at lower edge of preopecle anterior to angle; distinctly serrate lower edge of subopercle and rear edge of interopercle; convex upper edge of operculum; posterior nostrils 2-3 times larger than anterior nostrils; maxilla reaches to below rear half of eye (Ref. 89707).

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 15; Analspines: 3; Analsoft rays: 9

Found on the continental shelf (Ref. 75154).

Probably occurs in rocky reefs. Its apparent rarity may be due to its preference for relatively deep water.

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: very high; price reliability: questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this genus

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起非洲東岸，北至日本，南至澳洲。台灣南部海域有產。

棲所較深，產量不多，為非主要經濟性之食用魚。一般漁法以延繩釣、流刺網及一支釣等捕獲。紅燒食用佳。因食物鰱之故，可能含有熱帶海魚毒。

體長橢圓形，側扁而粗壯，標準體長為體高之2.4-2.5倍。頭背部斜直；眶間區略凹。眼小，短於吻長。口大；上下頜前端具小犬齒或無，兩側齒細尖。鰓耙數6-10+11-13。前鰓蓋骨後緣具鋸齒，下緣光滑。鰓蓋骨後緣具3扁棘。體被細小櫛鱗；側線鱗孔數62-71；縱列鱗數107-126。背鰭鰭棘部與軟條部相連，無缺刻，具硬棘XI，軟條13-15；臀鰭硬棘III枚，軟條9；腹鰭腹位，末端延伸不及肛門開口；胸鰭圓形，中央之鰭條長於上下方之鰭條，且長於腹鰭，但短於後眼眶長；尾鰭圓形。頭部、體側及各鰭褐色，體側具8條淡色至白色橫帶，第一條在項部，最後一條在尾鰭基部；上頜溝暗色；尾鰭一致為暗色。

主要棲息於較深之岩礁區，棲息深度在40-350公尺間。以魚類、甲殼類及軟體動物為食。