Cod - Peacock

Dispatch Method:

Beware of the sharp preopercular spines and dorsal spines when handling peacock cod. To maximise their eating qualities these fish should be killed humanely by iki jime, or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.

Fish Description:

• Peacock cod are a greenish to brownish/black grouper covered in small black-edged blue spots, with or without 5-6 pale bars on the rear of the body. Pectoral fins are bluish, with a creamy-white patch around the pectoral-fin base.
  
• This species is a protogynous hermaphrodite, maturing first as females when a little over 1 year of age (20 cm long). Sex change into functional males occurs between 10 and 12 years of age (35 -40 cm long).
  

Fish Distribution:

• The peacock grouper occurs throughout the tropical Indo- Pacific region, from the Red Sea and Durban (South Africa) to as far east as French Polynesia, Pitcairn Islands, as far north as the Ryukyu Islands, and as far south as northern Australia and Lord Howe Island.
  
• This species inhabits mostly coral habitats ranging from tide pools to offshore reefs and outer reef slopes to depths of around 40 meters (120 feet). Juveniles are usually found in shallow areas amongst dense coral.
  
• Peacock cod have been introduced into some regions (e.g. Hawaii), where it is regarded as an invasive species with detrimental impacts from voracious feeding on native fishes, and to a lesser extent on crustaceans.
  
• Prized as an eating fish in many parts of the world, this species is known to be ciguatoxic in some parts of its range (e.g. Hawaii), with both small and larger sized fish being equally affected.

Fish Size Common Length:

30-40 cm (12-16 inches), maximum size around 60 cm (24 inches) and 3.6 kg (8 lb).