Small grouper of shallow Pacific waters, olive-green to reddish-brown with white spots and a black saddle at the base of the tail. Lives on rocky shores and reefs from 1 to 50 m and rarely exceeds about 50 cm.
Also called: garoupa-estrelada, cabrilla piedrera, murique, Starry grouper, Flag cabrilla
Eastern Pacific grouper, from Baja California to Peru, including Cocos, Revillagigedo and Galápagos. Lives on rocky shores and reefs of the continental shelf, from 1 to 50 m, and is most abundant in shallow water. It is a solitary predator: it seems to eat smaller fish by day and crustaceans after dark. FishBase gives 60 cm as the maximum, but the Mexican guide consulted mentions about 52 cm and 1.33 kg, the IGFA record from Salinas, Ecuador, in 2017. In Mexico it is most abundant in the upper Gulf of California, according to the Mexican guide. It spawns at the end of summer, according to FishBase.
fun facts
In English it has two names, starry grouper and flag cabrilla; in Mexico it is called cabrilla piedrera.
The Mexican guide shows 28 cm specimens with deformed bodies, which a Scripps researcher attributes to predator attacks.
how to recognize it
identification
Robust, flattened body, olive-green to reddish-brown, with irregular white and brown spots and blotches, and a black saddle on the upper base of the tail. The edges of the dorsal and anal fins and the tail edges are brick red, the top of each dorsal spine has a white tip, and the inside of the mouth is red. The tail is rounded. Epinephelus clippertonensis is very similar, but without spots in the middle of the body and without a clearly marked black saddle.
how starry grouper fishing looks
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Does not occur in Brazil. Eastern Pacific, from San Diego (California, USA) and Baja California to Peru, including Cocos, Revillagigedo, Malpelo and Galápagos; in Mexico, in all Pacific waters, and most abundant in the upper Gulf of California. FishBase lists Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
Habitat: Rocky bottoms and coral reefs of the shelf, from 1 to 50 m; most abundant in shallow water, down to about 30 m.
calendar and clock
when to fish
best season
time of yearbest: Jun–Aug
JanFebSeaAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Occurs all year. Spawning is at the end of summer, according to FishBase. The app gives more weight to the warmer months.
best time of day
Dawn and dusk. FishBase says it eats fish by day and crustaceans after dark. The app's estimate gives more weight to dawn and dusk.
weather, water and behavior
what affects the starry grouper
sensitivity The little bars show how much each factor affects this species. Five full: it feels it a lot.
cold and cold fronts
Cold water reduces activity; in winter the fish tends to move.
atmospheric pressure
A strong front with rough seas hurts rock fishing and boat fishing.
moon
Small effect and no study for the species.
rain
Little effect at sea; a river flowing in murky near the estuary scatters the fish.
water level
Not applicable at sea.
noise
A boat knocking on the rocks and a nearby motor scare the fish; approach drifting or with an electric motor.
wind
Rough seas hamper rocky-shore and boat fishing.
tide
A current running past the rock and bringing food is best.
3000 to 5000 spinning reel or small conventional reel with firm drag
line
braided line 20 to 40 lb
leader
fluorocarbon 30 to 50 lb
hook
circle 1/0 to 4/0; assist hooks on jigs
lures
metal jig 20 to 60 g
shad on a jig head of 14 to 28 g
deep-diving plug
natural baits
live or dead sardine or anchovy
shrimp
squid strips
accessories
alicate
luvas
descender for depths over 15 m
tip from an angler
It is a small rockfish: set the hook and pull right away, before it reaches its hole. In shallow water, a jig worked back close to the rock works well.
what the law says
rules for the starry grouper
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency. Conservation: Of little concern globally. Not listed in Mexico's NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010.
Mexico: up to 5 per species and 10 saltwater fish per day
5 specimens of the species per angler per day, within the limit of 10 saltwater fish
In federal waters of Mexico, recreational sport fishing allows each angler to keep up to 10 marine fish per day, no more than 5 of the same species. The starry grouper is not among the species reserved for sport fishing (marlins, sailfish, swordfish, "sábalo o chiro" (tarpon), roosterfish and dorado, up to 50 nautical miles from shore, item 0.3 of the standard) and has no quota of its own. Fish over the quota must go back alive (item 4.9.5), and sport-caught fish may not be sold. Anyone fishing from a boat needs the permits under the Federal Duties Law; from shore, no (item 4.3).
Nicaragua (Pacific): groupers and cabrillas at least 35 cm
35 cmconfirm with the agency
The minimum catch size table for Nicaragua's Pacific coast sets 35 cm for groupers of the genera Epinephelus and Mycteroperca, a group that includes the starry grouper (Epinephelus labriformis). The Pacific table does not say which kind of length applies (the Caribbean table uses total length), so measure total length. We did not confirm whether another rule replaced the 2012 resolution.
Personal Incopesca license, for people over 16confirm with the agency
In the regulation of the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law (Decree 36782, of May 24, 2011), art. 69, sport fishing is authorized only for natural persons over 16, with a license issued by Incopesca; tourists, whether national or foreign, also need the license. Art. 68 limits the landing of large pelagics to 5 per trip, and art. 66 promotes catch and release, but the rule sets no quota for this species. The decree was later amended (Decree 39458), so confirm the current rule with Incopesca.
Panama: new sport fishing decree in force from Dec 10, 2026
Executive Decree No. 9 (Jun 10, 2026), in force from Dec 10, 2026confirm with the agency
ARAP published Executive Decrees No. 9 and No. 10, of Jun 10, 2026, in the Official Gazette. The first regulates sport fishing throughout the territory; the second protects billfish (sailfish and marlins). Both take effect on Dec 10, 2026, after six months of adaptation. We did not verify the text: the press report gives no catch limits, sizes or license requirements. Before fishing in Panama, check with ARAP.
Colombia: AUNAP license and catch-and-release in sport fishing
Individual AUNAP license; catch-and-release guidanceconfirm with the agency
AUNAP Resolution 0549 of 2022 sets the guidelines for sport fishing for recreational purposes in Colombia. Anyone fishing needs a permit: for a natural person, Colombian or foreign, it is a personal, non-transferable license (art. 6). The rule uses "capture and release" as guidance. We did not verify the daily limit or the minimum sizes by species: check with AUNAP before keeping any fish.
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
A deep-water rockfish can rise with an inflated swim bladder: use a descender to return it to depth. Don't puncture the bladder. Hold it by the mouth with a boga-grip and support its belly.
in the kitchen
White flesh; because it is small, it yields little fillet.
calculator
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.01549, b = 3.04; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
The seasonal weights (months), time of day and sensitivities (cold, pressure, moon, wind, rain, tide, strong light, murky water and noise) are the app's editorial estimates, based on the literature below and on the field experience of anglers and guides. They are not official data or measurements made for this species, and they may vary by region and year. Closed seasons and legal rules appear in the rules section, with the rule and link. The common size is an editorial estimate (FishBase gives no common length for this species), supported by the specimens photographed in the Mexican guide; the common weight is calculated from the length-weight relationship.
technicalMexican Fish (mexican-fish.com): ficha do Flag Cabrilla (Epinephelus labriformis)Independent guide to fishes of the Mexican Pacific, with catch photos and the author's observations; not an official source. Page checked Oct 13, 2026. Reports the maximum size (52 cm) and the IGFA record of 1.33 kg (Salinas, Ecuador, January 2017), which we used as the maximum weight, since FishBase gives no weight. We did not verify the record on the IGFA website.
