Mérou de Gorée (African hind)
Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828)
Family Serranidae • the small red grouper speckled with blue
3 look-alikes to know
| French name | Mérou de Gorée. Other names: céphalophole, mérou à points bleus, vieille rouge. |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | Cephalopholis taeniops (Valenciennes, 1828) |
| Family | Family Serranidae |
| English name (FAO) | Mérou de Gorée (African hind) |
| Local names | On Ivorian markets and landing sites: “Carpe rouge” (Ouattara et al., 2016). |
| Habitat | Marine, coastal demersal over rocky and reef bottoms. Stays close to shelters and drop-offs. |
| IUCN status | Least Concern (LC), IUCN Red List, assessed on 17/11/2016. Targeted by local fishing and occasionally the aquarium trade. |
How to recognise it
- orange-red body covered with small blue spots, head and fins included;
- dorsal fin with 9 spines and 15 to 16 rays; rounded caudal fin;
- blue edge on the soft dorsal, anal and caudal fins; blue line below the eye;
- large head, wide mouth, maxilla reaching the rear of the eye.
Do not confuse with: the white grouper (Epinephelus aeneus), much larger, bronze grey without blue spots; Cephalopholis nigri, brown without a blue edge.
Size
Common size 40 cm; maximum 70 cm (FishBase).
Life
Sedentary and territorial near a shelter, ambushes crustaceans and small fish. Protogynous hermaphroditism known in the genus, to be confirmed for the species.
Fishing
Bottom fishing with natural bait near rocks, vertical handline, soft lure or light jig close to the bottom; hold firm on the strike to stop it from getting back into its hole.
At the table
White, firm, excellent flesh; baked or in sauce.
Status
Least Concern (LC), IUCN Red List, assessed on 17/11/2016 (via FishBase, checked on 25/10/2026).
Local names
« Carpe rouge »: markets and landing sites of Côte d'Ivoire (Ouattara et al., 2016); language to be specified.
Sources: FishBase, Cephalopholis taeniops; Wikipedia, Cephalopholis taeniops (accessed on 25/10/2026); V13 species sheet 30.