Description:

Dorsal spines: 9; Dorsal rays: 14; Anal spines: 3; Anal rays: 8.

Medium-sized grouper with moderately elongate oblong and laterally compressed body form. Broad caudal peduncle. Distinctive, large lunate caudal fin. 

Color. Body deep red with brownish or purplish hues and irregular longitudinal red bands alternating with yellow lines. The red bands containing small 
irregular pale spots. Head orange-yellow with red spots that have yellow centres, spots are dense forming yellow interstice network. Median fins with small pink 
and red spots. Caudal fin with dusky margin and narrow white posterior edge. 
Hyaline posterior margin to dorsal, anal and caudal fins distinguish it from the bright yellow of the closely related Variola louti. 

Maturity: Lm unknown. Range unknown. Max Length: 65 cm TL.
 

Inhabits seaward reefs (depth 4-200 m, but usually 12-90 m). Juveniles are typically found inshore on algae and soft coral reefs. Adults are usually found in small 
groups or solitary. It primarily consumes fishes. It is not known to aggregate to spawn.
 

This species is not protected or subject to fishery regulations. It is caught in the hand line fishery. Its occurrence is not necessarily easy to ascertain as it 
will likely be incorrectly identified as, or lost amongst, its congener and the much more common Variola louti. It appears however to be a rare to very rare 
component of the catch – e.g. with only two specimens recorded during a five-year survey of the Victoria market (Nevill 2019).

Shares the creole names "Kwarsan" and "Gran ke" with the closely related Variola louti.
 

Craig, M.T. et al. (2011). Groupers of the World - a field and market guide. NISC (Pty) Ltd, South Africa. ISBN: 978-1-920033-11-8
Froese, R. & D. Pauly. (Eds.) (2019). FishBase. http://www.fishbase.org/summary/6478 (16/03/19).
Nevill, J. (2013). A Species Identification Guide for Commonly Caught Fish in the Seychelles Near-Shore Artisanal Fishery. GOS/UNDP/GEF.
Nevill, J. (2019). Artisanal fishery catch monitoring database.
Sadovy, Y. et al. (2018). Variola albimarginata. The IUCN Red List 2018: http://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T132810A100572514.en. (16/03/19). 

Nevill, J.E.G. (2019). Variola albimarginata, White-edged lyretail. Seychelles Seatizens. www.seatizens.sc. https://seatizens.sc/species/variola-albimarginata-baissac-1953/ (edited 09/08/22).