Saddle grouper (Plectropomus laevis) care guide

Group
Marine fish
Other names
Black-saddled coral grouper, Blacksaddled coral trout, Footballer coral trout, Footballer cod, Chinese footballer, Blue-spot trout, Oceanic coral trout, Tiger trout
Family
Serranidae (groupers and sea basses)
Origin
Indo-Pacific, from Kenya to Mozambique east to French Polynesia, southern Japan to Australia; lagoons, channels and outer reef, 4–100 m.
Water
saltwater
Maximum size
125 cm
Temperature
24–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Hardness
Salinity SG 1.020–1.025
Care level
expert
Temperament
aggressive
Reef safe
no

Care

Tank: This fish outgrows home aquaria and is only suitable for public-aquarium-sized systems; no home tank size is given. It reaches 125 cm (commonly about 84 cm) and over 24 kg. Water: the sources give no species-specific figures, so the values here are general marine aquarium guidance: 24–27 °C, pH 8.1–8.4 and specific gravity 1.020–1.025. Keep nitrate low and the water well oxygenated. Behaviour: a wide-ranging predator. Juveniles mimic the poisonous Valentin’s sharpnose puffer, and are the form usually sold. Identification: adults are pale with dark saddles and blue spots; juveniles are white with black saddles and yellow fins like the puffer they copy. Trade and status: a prized food fish, increasingly important in the live reef food fish trade, and linked to many ciguatera poisoning cases. IUCN: Least Concern. Selling: our policies require the adult size and long-term tank needs to be stated clearly in the listing. Large fish must travel by a specialist live-animal courier (see the Livestock shipping guide). Sources: Wikipedia, List of marine aquarium fish species (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Listofmarineaquariumfishspecies); Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plectropomuslaevis). Checked October 2026.

Diet

Adults eat large reef fish, including other groupers; juveniles take smaller fish, crustaceans and squid. In captivity it needs large pieces of fish and squid.

Breeding

A protogynous hermaphrodite: males develop from mature females, which mature at about two years. Forms spawning aggregations. Not bred in home aquaria.

Compatibility and tank mates

Not reef safe and will eat other fish, including other groupers. Only for very large public-aquarium systems.

Last updated 8 October 2026. Community-edited care guide on Aquatic-Auctions.

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