Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Scorpaeniformes
- Family
- Serranidae
- Genus
- Plectropomus
- Species
- leopardus
Habitat
Its natural habitat is open seas and coral reefs.
Diet
These fish are mosty piscivores, feeding primarily on other fish. The young juvenile Coral Trout are mostly crustaceans, feeding on crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill, and especially prawns. The most common prey preferred by the adult Leopard Coral Grouper is the Damselfish. Although, they feed on a variety of different fish. Adults are even known to eat there own juvenile species if the size is right.
Behavior
Leopard coral groupers are solitary and territorial, often hiding in coral crevices and ambushing prey during the day. They are protogynous hermaphrodites, starting life as females and changing to males under certain conditions. They exhibit aggressive behavior when defending their territory and are most active at dawn and dusk.
Fishing
The Leopard Coral Grouper are a primary target for anglers because of their high demand in market prices over seas. They are considered an excellent food fish with increasing demand around the world.
Conservation Status
Listed as Near Threatened by IUCN.