Fishes - Australian Museum Fish Site

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Hexagon Rockcod
Epinephelus hexagonatus (Forster, 1801)

Hexagon Rockcod
A Hexagon Rockcod at a depth of 10m, Northern Small Detached Reef, far northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, December 2001. View larger image.

The Hexagon Rockcod has brown polygonal spots on the head and body. There is a small white triangle between each of the polygonal spots, and five groups of darker brown spots along the base of the dorsal fin.

This species grows to 30cm in length.

The Hexagon Rockcod is usually seen in shallow outer reef areas that are exposed to surge. Its colouration provides camouflage in the dappled sunlight of shallow reef habitats. This fish is usually seen as solitary individuals.

It is most often found at depths of less than 6m, but may be found at 10m or more.

This fish feeds on fishes and crustaceans during the day and night.

The Hexagon Rockcod occurs in tropical marine waters of the Indo-West and Central Pacific, from East Africa, Madagascar and Christmas Island, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to French Polynesia.

In Australia the Hexagon Rockcod is known from the north-western coast of Western Australia and the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland.

View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.

Further reading

  1. Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
  2. Heemstra, P.C. & J.E. Randall. 1993. Groupers of the World. (Family Serranidae, Subfamily Epinephelinae). An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Grouper, Rockcod, Hind, Coral Grouper and Lyretail Species Known to Date. FAO Species Catalogue. Vol. 16. FAO. Rome. Pp. 382.
  3. Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 222.
  4. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 415.
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