Estuary cod (Epinephelus coioides) occur in tropical and warm temperate marine waters of the Indo-Pacific including the Persian Gulf, India, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Fiji and around numerous other islands. In Australia they are most common in Queensland, the Northern Territory and Western Australia; however, they are known to occur as far southwards as the Sydney area.

Estuary cod inhabit turbid coastal reefs and are often found in brackish water over mud and rubble. They are frequently misidentified as Epinephelus tauvina (Greasy grouper) or Epinephelus malabaricus (Malabar grouper), which look similar and have overlapping distributions. Estuary cod also have a variety of common names including estuary rock cod, orange-spotted grouper, orange-spotted cod, green grouper, greasy cod, spotted river cod and brown-spotted grouper.

Estuary cod are listed as a protected fish in NSW under the Fisheries Management Act 1994. Heavy penalties apply for taking or possessing them.

The contents of this Primefact include:

• Description
• Habitat and ecology
• Why are estuary cod protected?
• What conservation actions are underway?
• Legal implications
• Bibliography and further reading
• Contact details for further information.