All fish / Serranidae

Bluelined Grouper

Cephalopholis formosa

Also known as blue-lined grouper, bluelined hind, blue line grouper, blue-lined rock cod, no, ปลากะรังลายน้ำเงิน, kerapu, アオスジハタ, kerapu garis biru, 蓝线九刺鮨, 蓝线石斑

A dark brown grouper covered in wavy bright blue lines across its head and body, making it one of the more attractive small groupers. It is hardy, quickly learns to take food from its keeper, and suits large fish-only systems with plenty of rockwork to hide in.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: whole shrimp, fish, squid, mussel and other meaty frozen foods

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: India and Sri Lanka to the Philippines, Indonesia, southern China and northern Australia

Breeding

Like other Cephalopholis it is believed to be a protogynous hermaphrodite that scatters pelagic eggs. It has not been bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

It will eat any fish or crustacean small enough to swallow, so it is not reef safe for shrimps, crabs or small fish. It grows to around 30 to 34 cm and needs a large tank with strong filtration.