Red Louti Grouper

Red Louti Grouper: The Lyretail Predator

The Red Louti Grouper (Variola louti), also widely known as the Lyretail Grouper, Yellow-edged Lyretail, or Coronation Grouper, is one of the most vividly colored and active groupers available to the marine aquarium trade. It is highly valued for its striking coloration, dramatic body shape, and engaging personality, making it a true showpiece for a massive Fish-Only-With-Live-Rock (FOWLR) system.

Native to the vast Indo-Pacific, particularly from the Red Sea eastward, this species is immediately recognizable by its deeply lunate or lyre-shaped caudal (tail) fin often edged in yellow or white. The adult coloration is typically a brilliant red to salmon pink base, covered with numerous small blue or lavender spots. Juveniles exhibit a different pattern, often having a yellow-tan body with a mottled black stripe.

This is a fish that grows very large. In the wild, it can reach a total length of 30 to 35 inches (75–89 cm). Hobbyists must commit to a large aquarium, with a minimum size of 300 gallons highly recommended, although some sources suggest a minimum of 200 gallons for a juvenile. Exceptional filtration is essential to manage the high bioload of this large, predatory fish.

The Red Louti Grouper is a hardy, long-lived species that requires a well-established system with plenty of robust rockwork to provide caves and crevices for hiding, as they are natural ambush predators and enjoy retreating to dark spots.

Diet & Compatibility:

• Diet: The Red Louti Grouper is a dedicated Carnivore and an opportunistic predator. Its natural diet is heavily composed of fish and larger crustaceans.
• Feeding: It requires a diet of large, meaty foods. Feed every 1–2 days until the stomach shows a slight bulge. Suitable foods include chunks of frozen marine fish (e.g., silversides), krill, raw table shrimp, squid, and clam. They have a relatively slow metabolism compared to other fish and are prone to obesity if overfed.
• Reef Compatibility: It is Not Reef Safe. While the Grouper typically ignores corals and sessile inverts, it will inevitably hunt and consume all ornamental shrimp, crabs, and any fish small enough to fit into its mouth, which is surprisingly large.
• Temperament: It is Aggressive / Predatory. This Grouper should only be housed with large, robust, semi-aggressive to aggressive tankmates that are at least half its body length. Good companions include large triggerfish, lionfish, robust angelfish, and large tangs. It is a solitary species and should be kept singly unless the aquarium is exceptionally large (hundreds of gallons).

Quick Facts

• Scientific Name: Variola louti
• Primary Common Name: Red Louti Grouper
• Other Common Names: Lyretail Grouper, Yellow-edged Lyretail, Coronation Grouper
• Origin: Indo-Pacific (Widespread, including Red Sea)
• Max Size: 30–35 inches (75–89 cm)
• Temperament: Aggressive / Predatory
• Diet: Carnivore (Large, meaty frozen foods)
• Minimum Tank Size: 300+ Gallons (200 Gallon minimum for small juvenile)
• Reef Compatibility: No (Will consume small fish and invertebrates)