TankBud

Panther grouper

Cromileptes altivelis

Also known as Humpback Grouper, Polka-Dot Grouper, Barramundi Cod, High-Fin Grouper

SaltwaterFish

Panther grouper (Cromileptes altivelis)
Arpingstone · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
27.6 in
70 cm
Minimum tank
300 gal
1,135 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Serranidae
Origin
Western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean reefs, from southern Japan to Palau, New Caledonia, and southern Queensland, west to the Nicobar Islands and northwestern Australia

Overview

The panther grouper is a bold predator that needs a very large saltwater tank once grown. It suits a keeper with a little experience.

Did you know

The panther grouper is raised by the ton in Southeast Asian aquaculture, in places like Indonesia, as a high-value food fish. Most humpback groupers in the world end up on a dinner plate rather than in a home aquarium. The smaller, wild-collected juveniles sold for aquariums come from a supply chain entirely separate from the farms.

Caring for the panther grouper

Panther groupers are sold as cute 8 to 10 cm juveniles, but they grow fast. Plan from the start for the tank an adult needs, at least 300 gal (1,135 L) with strong filtration and open swimming room. Treat any smaller starter setup as temporary. New arrivals are good at finding gaps in a lid, so keep the tank covered until the fish settles in.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed a varied diet of silversides, krill, shrimp and other meaty foods.

The panther grouper is an aggressive, solitary predator that keeps mostly to the bottom. It will eat any fish, shrimp or crab small enough to swallow whole. Choose tank mates that are already too large to fit in its mouth.

It is not reef safe, even though it leaves coral tissue alone. A reef tank's fish, shrimp and other invertebrates are exactly the small prey it is built to hunt. Breeding a panther grouper is hard.

Good to know

The panther grouper, Cromileptes altivelis, is a grouper in the family Serranidae. It also goes by humpback grouper, polka-dot grouper, barramundi cod and high-fin grouper. Its arched, humpbacked profile and its cream body covered in small black spots both develop as it matures past the juvenile stage. It is an ambush predator with a large, protrusible mouth that engulfs prey whole in a rush of suction rather than chewing it.

In the wild

Panther groupers live on lagoon and seaward reefs across the western Pacific, from southern Japan to Palau, New Caledonia and southern Queensland. In the eastern Indian Ocean they range from the Nicobar Islands to northwestern Australia. Survey work suggests wild populations are patchy and uncommon across much of that range.

Common questions

What size tank does a panther grouper need?

A panther grouper needs at least 300 gal (1,135 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a panther grouper need?

A panther grouper is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a panther grouper eat?

A panther grouper eats silversides, krill, shrimp and other meaty foods. As a predator, it will also eat any fish, shrimp or crab small enough to swallow whole.

How big does a panther grouper get?

An adult panther grouper reaches about 27.6 in (70 cm).

Related species