Description
Miniatus Grouper (Cephalophalis miniata). The Miniatus Grouper, also commonly referred to as the Coral Grouper, is a hardy and vividly colorful species endemic to the coral reefs throughout the Indo-Pacific. Miniatus Groupers are one of the most colorful, if not the most colorful of the groupers in the hobby and are easily identifiable from their intense base coloration of bright red to orange (juveniles tend to have a tan to yellowish hue, which they will grow out of), dappled with hundreds of electric blue to blue-green spots. Miniatus Groupers are predators equipped with large mouths and many small, sharp teeth, which are mainly used to prevent escape as they swallow their prey whole while crushing bones and exoskeletons with the powerful, pharyngeal teeth that line their throats.