Top 10 Rare Groupers

Grouper is a kind of seafood rich in protein and various essential nutrients for the human body. It is often a delicacy at banquets and is loved by diners at home and abroad. Among the grouper varieties, there are some that are known as the top ten precious groupers, including red grouper, mouse grouper, eastern star grouper, blue grouper, brown-banded grouper, saddle-banded grouper, red grouper, etc. Let's take a look.

1. Red grouper (selected as one of the ten treasures of the ocean by the World Wildlife Fund/endangered)

Red grouper, that is, red grouper, is an indispensable member of the precious grouper. Since it was rated as one of the ten treasures of the ocean by the World Wildlife Fund in 2006, it has attracted much attention as an edible fish with high economic value. Its meat is delicious and suitable for steaming or cooking in ginger soup. Because its body symbolizes the auspicious red color in Chinese culture, it was once a highly respected ingredient in Chinese wedding banquets. However, due to seawater pollution and overfishing, it is now hard to find a fish, and the World Conservation Union has listed it on the Red List of Endangered Species.

2. Mouse Grouper (Vulnerable)

Mouse Grouper has always been at the top of the value ranking of grouper species. This grouper has a cream-colored body and black spots all over the body, giving people a festive feeling, so it is often regarded as an ornamental fish. At the same time, the mouse grouper has plump and delicate meat, rich in fish oil and strong fish flavor. In the grouper family, the mouse grouper is a unique species, the only one in the world. Because its "fish mouth" is relatively rare, it is regarded as a top seafood ingredient in major restaurants. However, due to fishing and environmental impacts, the rat grouper has been listed in the Red List of Vulnerable Species by the World Conservation Union.

3. Eastern Star Grouper

Eastern Star Grouper is one of the top ten precious groupers, with a variety of colors, including blue, red, brown and yellow. Compared with ordinary groupers, it has a thinner body and a smaller head. Its blue eyes have black pupils, which look like stars in the sky. It is named "star grouper" because of the small white spots on its body. Therefore, it is often loved as an ornamental fish. However, in fact, this variety is not only edible, but also has ornamental value. In the market, a three-jin Eastern Star Grouper costs about 360 yuan per kilogram, while the price in the restaurant is much higher than this.

4. Blue Grouper

Blue grouper is one of the most expensive grouper species. It mainly grows in the western North Pacific Ocean. In my country, it is mainly distributed in the South China Sea and the southern East China Sea. In particular, the production in various waters of the South China Sea is relatively abundant. Blue grouper is famous for its high protein content and rich calcium, phosphorus, iron and vitamins. In addition, it also contains a variety of amino acids, and its meat is tender and delicious. There are many ways to eat it. In addition to the common steaming, stewing and braising, frying, deep-frying and other cooking methods can also show different flavors. Due to its popularity and high price, it has become a foreign exchange earning fishery and a famous and precious grouper species.

5. Brown-banded grouper

Brown-banded grouper is commonly known as oily grouper and is mainly distributed in the northwest Pacific region, including coastal areas such as South Korea, Japan, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. It is called "oily grouper" because when it is raised in fishing ports, this fish often swims constantly, making its body glow with oily luster. It is even more dazzling after being fished out of the fish tank. In Japan, sumo wrestlers like to use oily grouper to cook hot pot, and both Japan and South Korea regard it as a high-end ingredient. Its price is 3-4 times higher than that of ordinary grouper.

6. Saddleback Grouper (Queensland's Most Representative Marine Life)

Saddleback Grouper is often called dragon grouper or dragon grouper. It is a giant in the grouper family. It is honored as the "King of Groupers" because of its huge size. It is considered one of the most representative marine life in Queensland, Australia. Because it often lives alone in deep-sea coral areas and canyons, its meat is firm and its skin is thick and tough. An adult saddleback grouper can be up to 2.7 meters long and weigh up to half a ton. It feeds on lobsters and crabs, and indirectly ingests foods rich in astaxanthin. Therefore, it is known as the "fish for beauty and skin care" because of the natural extracellular antioxidants in its food source.

7. Red Grouper

Red grouper, also known as black-edged grouper or red nail, is mainly distributed in East Africa, Japan, South Korea, Australia and China. They are carnivorous fish that prefer to hide behind rocks to hunt and are also hermaphroditic. In the 1980s, the length of an adult red grouper was usually 40 cm, but now it is only 16 cm. This fish has 8-10 horizontal stripes on the side of its body, a large mouth, small eyes, a long snout, and its body is covered with horizontal stripes of deep red and light red. The meat is tender and smooth. However, due to its endangered status, it is listed on the Red List of the World Conservation Union, so the market price is relatively high.

8. Epinephelus punctatus

Epinephelus punctatus, also known as sea blue grouper, has always been a frequent visitor in the inventory of precious grouper varieties. It is mainly produced in Africa, Japan, Australia and the Western Pacific. As a coral fish, Epinephelus punctatus is active, has a large appetite, and has the characteristics of multiple spawning. This variety has the characteristics of rapid growth, strong adaptability, delicious meat, and rich nutrition, so it is deeply loved by people. As one of the precious marine fish in Southeast Asia and my country, Epinephelus punctatus plays an important role in marine aquaculture.

9. Salmon-spotted grouper

Salmon-spotted grouper, also known as red bream or golden bream, is a reef-dwelling fish that loves warm water environments. It usually lives in rocky reef bottoms in tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans. This fish has an oval body, flattened sides, a relatively long head, and a slightly larger mouth; the body is light brown with many small orange spots; the dorsal and anal fin spines are very developed, and there are three prominent brown spots on the dorsal fin and the back of the caudal peduncle. Its meat is extremely tender, so it is favored by consumers and is known as one of the world-famous seafood delicacies.

10. Epinephelus

Epinephelus is mainly distributed in the western North Pacific, extending from the waters of Vietnam to the South China Sea and the East China Sea, and to the coastal waters of Japan and South Korea. They live in waters within 100 meters deep, usually in the middle and lower layers of reefs or muddy bottoms.

Adult Epinephelus is ferocious and has obvious territoriality, and generally does not move in groups. It should be noted that Epinephelus is a carnivorous fish, and there is a phenomenon of cannibalism, especially in the juvenile stage. As individuals grow, their feeding habits are constantly changing. When they are young, they feed on microscopic zooplankton, and they still maintain their carnivorous habits when they grow up.

The ranking of the top ten precious groupers is mainly based on the price/rarity/popularity of the animals, and is recommended with reference to relevant rankings/lists on the Internet. If you have any questions, please comment/criticize at the end.

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