Lunar-tailed grouper (Variola louti) is a saltwater species recorded in Hong Kong. It is mainly found over reef, at depths of 3–300 m. The main season in Hong Kong runs all year.
Scientific name: Variola louti · Water: Saltwater · Season: All year
Size: up to 81 cm
The lunar-tailed grouper is a serranid reef fish; an ambush hunter of reef areas, it is a challenging catch and is also eaten. Its range is the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to South Africa and the Pitcairn Islands, north to southern Japan and south to New South Wales, and it is absent from both the Persian Gulf and Hawaii.
Caution: large individuals carry a ciguatera risk. Heat, cold and marinating do not remove the toxin, which concentrates in the liver, roe and head, so avoid eating those parts. Seek medical help if numbness, tingling or a reversed sense of hot and cold follows a meal.
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