Spinycheek grouper (Epinephelus diacanthus) is widely distributed in northern Indian Ocean from Sri Lanka and Chennai in South-west coast of India to Gulf of Aden in the north. The stock structure is not known and the map below regards the distribution in Indian waters.

Groupers are found in coastal rocky reefs and coral ridges with their distribution ranging upto 360 m in Indian EEZ (James et al., 1996). Juveniles of some groupers are found in coastal waters, mangroves, estuaries and sandy bottoms. There are more than 64 species of groupers belonging to the family Serranidae in Indian waters. Among these species most of the commercial fisheries exploit around 34 of the Epinephelus spp in various gears ranging from bottom set gillnets, cast nets and hooks and line in small-scale fisheries to trawl nets and longline fishing in the industrial fisheries.