TankBud

Lyretail grouper

Variola louti

Also known as Yellow-edged lyretail, Louti grouper, Moon grouper, Coronation trout

SaltwaterFish

Lyretail grouper (Variola louti)
Rickard Zerpe · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–81°F
24–27°C
pH
8.0–8.4
Adult size
31.5 in
80 cm
Minimum tank
291 gal
1,100 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Serranidae
Origin
Native to the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to the central Pacific, living on outer reef slopes and drop-offs.

Overview

The lyretail grouper is a large, aggressive reef predator for a huge fish-only aquarium. It is for experienced keepers only.

Did you know

The lyretail grouper is a picky roamer that patrols steep outer reef walls, despite its size and appetite. Dive guides prize a sighting, because adults are wary and rarely let people get close.

Caring for the lyretail grouper

The lyretail grouper is a serious commitment, because brightly colored, heavily traded juveniles grow into tank-busting adults of around 31.5 in (80 cm). It needs a fish-only tank of at least 291 gal (1,100 L), realistically far more, with powerful filtration and large caves.

Keep the water at 75 to 81°F (24 to 27°C) and a pH of 8.0 to 8.4. Feed meaty seafood a couple of times a week, and do not overfeed.

It is an aggressive, fast and hungry hunter that dominates any system it is in. It will eat any fish or invertebrate it can catch, so it is not reef safe. Keep only one per tank, with big, aggressive tank mates such as large angels, triggers or eels.

Good to know

Variola louti is one of the larger reef groupers and, like most serranids, a protogynous hermaphrodite. It is deep red to orange and covered in blue and pink spots. Its crescent, lyre-shaped tail is edged in yellow, which gives the species its common name. Large wild adults can accumulate ciguatera toxin.

In the wild

The lyretail grouper is native to the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to the central Pacific. It lives on outer reef slopes and drop-offs.

Common questions

What size tank does a lyretail grouper need?

A lyretail grouper needs at least 291 gal (1,100 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a lyretail grouper need?

A lyretail grouper is comfortable at 75–81°F (24–27°C) with a pH of 8.0–8.4.

What does a lyretail grouper eat?

A lyretail grouper eats meaty seafood, fed a couple of times a week without overfeeding. It will also eat any fish or invertebrate it can catch.

How big does a lyretail grouper get?

An adult lyretail grouper reaches about 31.5 in (80 cm).

Related species