The grouper is a popular marine food fish of high market value in southeast Asia. Groupers have been farmed in netcages in coastal water for a longtime. The species which have been reared in tropical countries are estuarine grouper, Epinephelus malabaricus , black spotted grouper, E. salmoides and brown spotted grouper, E. tauvina . Some countries, like Indonesia and Singapore have attempted to rear leopard grouper, Plectropomus leopardus . In southern part of China and Japan the red spotted grouper, Epinephelus akaara , have been cultured in floating netcage.