All fish / Serranidae

Coney Grouper

Cephalopholis fulva

Also known as coney, coney grouper, golden coney, yellow coney, bicolor coney, no, 黄鳍九棘鲈

A small Caribbean grouper with a reddish brown to bright golden body covered in small blue spots and two dark spots on the tail stalk. It is kept for its striking colour forms, hardiness and bold personality in large fish-only marine systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

23 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: chopped fish, shrimp, squid, krill and quality sinking pellets

Swims

Bottom of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: South Carolina and Bermuda to southern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean

Breeding

It is a protogynous hermaphrodite that lives in harems and spawns in open water at dusk. Captive breeding in home aquariums is essentially unknown.

Good to know

It will eat any fish or crustacean small enough to swallow, so keep it only with robust tankmates of similar size. The yellow phase can be confused with other golden groupers, so check the scientific name when buying.