Red Coney Grouper (Cephalopholis fulva)

This is about as close to solid cherry-red as a grouper gets, a color that reads as a warning in a lot of the animal kingdom but here is just very good camouflage against red sponges and algae on its native reef. It hunts the same way every grouper on this page does — parked motionless near cover, then closing the gap with a mouth-opening strike fast enough to vacuum prey in before it can react. Easy to keep, but headed for a genuinely large tank as an adult.

Care level: Easy · Temperament: Predatory · Max size: ~20"+ · Min tank: 180+ gal (adult) · Diet: Carnivore, live/frozen meaty foods