Spotted Cabrilla, Epinephelus analogus

Spotted Cabrilla, Epinephelus analogus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Mazatlán, Sinaloa, March 2016. Length: 13 cm (5.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).

Spotted Cabrilla, Epinephelus analogus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Acapulco, Guerrero, February 2017. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Catch, photograph, and identification courtesy of Ryan Crutchfield, Tampa, Florida.

Spotted Cabrilla, Epinephelus analogus. Fish caught from coastal waters of Isla San Jorge (Bird Island) in the northern Sea of Cortez, November 2021. Length: 96 cm (3 feet 2 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.

Spotted Cabrilla, Epinephelus analogus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Mazatlán, Sinaloa, March 2017. Length: 1.0 m (3 feet 3 inches). Photograph courtesy of Jason Potts, Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Identification courtesy of Chris Wheaton, Fullerton, California.

The Spotted Cabrilla, Epinephelus analogus, is a member of the Grouper or Epinephelidae Family, this is also known as the Spotted Grouper and in Mexico as cabrilla pinta. Globally, there are one hundred species in the genus Epinephelus, of which elven are found in Mexican waters, six in the Atlantic and five in the Pacific Ocean.

The Spotted Cabrilla has an elongated, and robust bodies. They are pale, tan to grayish-white, covered with numerous circular brown spots that are smaller on their head and fins; they have 4 indistinct dark bars on the upper half of their sides. Their anal fin has 3 spines and 8 rays; their caudal fin is rounded; their dorsal fin has 11 spines and 16 to 18 rays; and, their pectoral fins have 19 or 20 rays. They have 26 to 28 gill rakers. They are covered with rough scales.

The Spotted Cabrilla is found both in rocky reefs and in shallow estuaries at depths up to 107 m (350 feet). They reach a maximum of 1.14 m (3 feet 9 inches) in length and 22.3 kg (49 lbs) in weight. As of January 1, 2024, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 22.31 kg (49 lbs 3 oz) with the fish caught from coastal waters off Cedros Island, Baja California in November 1990. They are voracious predators feeding on crustaceans at night and small fish during the day. The Spotted Cabrilla is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Spotted Cabrilla is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The Spotted Cabrilla can be confused with the juvenile Pacific Goliath Grouper, Epinephelus quinquefasciatus (10 dorsal spines).

From a conservation perspective the Spotted Cabrilla is currently considered to be of Least Concern due to historical stable, widely distributed populations. However, due to extreme fishing pressure I envision that this rating will soon be downgraded. They are considered to be an excellent food fish and in high demand. In some region that have experienced decades of extensive overfishing, primarily in the central Sea of Cortez, accompanied by their slow reproductive and growth rates, they have virtually disappeared.