polystigma, Serranus Bleeker [P.] 1853:244 [Natuurkundig Tijdschrift voor Nederlandsch Indië v. 4 (no. 2); ref. 12580] Benculen [Bengkulu], Sumatra, Indonesia; Ambon Island, Molucca Islands, Indonesia. Syntypes: RMNH 5491 (1), 29577 [ex RMNH 5491] (1). •Valid as Epinephelus polystigma (Bleeker 1853) -- (Paxton et al. 1989:497 [ref. 12442], Randall & Heemstra 1991:234 [ref. 19601], Heemstra & Randall 1993:216 [ref. 21042], Heemstra & Randall 1999:2517 [ref. 24815], Randall in Randall & Lim 2000:610 [ref. 25122], Hoese et al. 2006:1017 [ref. 28999], Craig et al. 2011:212 [ref. 31786], Allen & Erdmann 2012:279 [ref. 31980], Kottelat 2013:328 [ref. 32989], Ma & Craig 2018:455 [ref. 36100], Fricke et al. 2019:119 [ref. 36673], Parenti & Randall 2020:78 [ref. 37354], Akhilesh et al. 2021:53 [ref. 38701], Jamandre 2023:173 [ref. 40455], Allen & Erdmann 2024:297 [ref. 40796]). Current status: Valid as Epinephelus polystigma (Bleeker 1853). Epinephelidae. Distribution: Eastern Indian Ocean, western Pacific: Sumatra (Indonesia) east to Philippines, New Ireland (Papua New Guinea) and Solomon Islands, south to northern Queensland (Australia). Habitat: freshwater, brackish.