Chocolate hind (Cephalopholis boenak) is a saltwater species recorded in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia. It is mainly found over reef, coral, at depths of 1–64 m. The main season in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia runs summer.
Scientific name: Cephalopholis boenak · Water: Saltwater · Season: Summer
Size: up to 45 cm
The Chocolate hind is a small Cephalopholis, dark brown with a reddish cast and seven or eight darker vertical bars, a small mouth and large eyes, hiding among reef crevices and coral branches. Hong Kong calls it the black-thread grouper, Taiwan the barred rockcod. It favours silty, sheltered reefs and dead coral, from 1 to 64 m, and breeds as a protogynous hermaphrodite, living up to 11 years; IUCN lists it as Least Concern. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Malaysia have it in summer, Singapore all year. Hong Kong and Taiwan fish run to about 45 cm, while Singapore and Malaysian catches are usually palm-sized, to about 30 cm. Taiwanese anglers work embankments and reef edges on front-drop, light rock or micro-jigging tackle with small shrimp or soft plastics. Singapore's southern islands, the channels between St John's and Lazarus, Kusu and Pulau Hantu, plus the waters off Changi and Sultan Shoal, are the steadiest grounds. In Malaysia it is taken around Pulau Payar, Redang, the Perhentians and Tioman, and the reefs off Semporna, Mabul in Sabah and Santubong in Sarawak, where all groupers are kerapu and this small barred one is usually kerapu belang perang or kerapu tenggarong. A light bottom rig worked tight to the structure is the way to fish it.
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