▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁re ef ▁fish , ▁particularly ▁dam self ish . ▁ ▁Cor al ▁tr out ▁are ▁the ▁favour ite ▁target ▁fish ▁for ▁all ▁se ctors ▁of ▁the ▁fish ery ▁because ▁they ▁are ▁a ▁good ▁food ▁fish ▁and ▁command ▁high ▁market ▁prices ▁locally ▁and ▁over se as . ▁The ▁total ▁commercial ▁catch ▁of ▁cor al ▁tr out ▁was ▁reported ▁at ▁over ▁ 1 5 0 0 ▁t onnes ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁Initial ly ▁described ▁by ▁French ▁natural ist ▁Bernard ▁Germ ain ▁de ▁Lac ép ède ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 2 , ▁the ▁cor al ▁tr out ▁belongs ▁to ▁the ▁family ▁Ser ran idae . ▁This ▁family ▁includes ▁group ers ▁and ▁cor al ▁cod ▁( not ▁related ▁to ▁true ▁cod ), ▁which ▁are ▁all ▁character ised ▁by ▁having ▁three ▁sp ines ▁on ▁the ▁g ill ▁cover ▁and ▁a ▁large ▁mouth ▁l ined ▁with ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁row ▁of ▁sharp ▁teeth . ▁ ▁Distribution ▁and ▁habitat ▁▁ ▁The ▁Cor al ▁tr out ▁is ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁waters ▁around ▁American ▁Sam oa , ▁Australia , ▁Br une i , ▁C oc os ▁( Ke eling ) ▁Islands , ▁F iji , ▁Hong ▁Kong , ▁Indones ia , ▁Japan , ▁Malays ia , ▁Mic ron esia , ▁New ▁C aled onia , ▁Northern ▁Mar iana ▁Islands , ▁Pal au , ▁Pap ua ▁New ▁Guinea , ▁the ▁Philippines , ▁Sam oa , ▁Singapore , ▁Sol omon ▁Islands , ▁Taiwan , ▁Th ailand , ▁Vietnam , ▁Sa udi ▁Arab ia