Longtooth Grouper

Epinephelus bruneus

The longtooth grouper (Epinephelus bruneus), known as kue in Japanese, is a large grouper reaching up to 128 cm and 33 kg. It has a brownish body with faint darker markings and characteristically elongated canine-like teeth. Found in the western Pacific from Japan and Korea to Vietnam and the South China Sea, it inhabits rocky reefs, reef edges, and deep rocky habitats at depths of 10 to 200 meters. This apex predator feeds on fish, crustaceans, and cephalopods. It is one of the most highly prized fish in Japanese cuisine, with specimens fetching extremely high prices. This species is slow-growing and long-lived, making it vulnerable to overfishing. Encountering a large longtooth grouper on Japanese reef dives is increasingly rare and correspondingly special.