| Epinephelus costae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| In Spain | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Perciformes |
| Family: | Epinephelidae |
| Genus: | Epinephelus |
| Species: | E. costae |
| Binomial name | |
| Epinephelus costae Steindachner, 1878 | |
Epinephelus costae, the gold-blotch grouper, is a saltwater fish of the grouper family (Epinephelidae) from the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea, [1] where it can be found in shallow coastal waters. [2]
The gold-blotch grouper grows up 1.4 metres (SL). [1] The striped juveniles look strikingly different from adult fish, such that they were considered different species until 1882. [2]
Although adults exhibit the yellow blotch that is characteristic of this species, they can change colour so that the yellow blotch disappears, the fish becoming instead marked by horizontal stripes; these horizontal stripes are another characteristic trait of this species. Furthermore, the yellow blotch also tends to disappear after death. [2]
The gold-blotch grouper can be found in shallow coastal waters, usually at depths of less than 80 metres, but can be found at depths of up to 200 metres. [2]
The overwhelming majority of the gold-blotch grouper's diet is composed of fish, but they will also feed on crustaceans and cephalopods. [3]
