From the induced spawning and in vitro fertilization of the eggs of the starry grouper Epinepheluslabriformis the embryonic development and the eleutheroembryo were described. The spawning induction was performed with two injections of 700 UI GCH∙kg-1 to carry out spawning and artificial fertilization. The viable eggs were placed in incubators of 6 L with 35 UPS and raised at 23, 24, 25, and 27 °C. A chronological description of segmentation stages, gastrulation, and nerula was made until hatching of the eleutheroembryo at 25°C. The average + standard deviation of the egg diameter and the diameter of oil drop from the eleutheroembryo were reported along with the notocordial length, yolk sac length, and diameter of the eleutheroembryo´s oil drop. The egg is pelagic, spherical, transparent, smooth chorion with only one oil drop in a central position. The average diameter of the eggs is 726.1 + 18.4 µm and 135.5 + 17 µm for the oil drop. At 25°C the first segmentation was observed after 40 minutes post fertilization and the discoblastula is evident at 3 hours post fertilization. The nerula with optical vesicles, well-defined somites, and the presence of melanophores was observed at 25 hours. Eggs hatched at 27 hours post fertilization. The notochord average length of the eleuteroembryo was 1,327 + 186.3 µm, the diameter of the oil drop is 131.3 + 17.1 µm. The length of the yolk sac is 526.2 + 72.8 µm and its height is 359.6 + 74.6 µm. The equation that describes hatching time (Te) with respect to the temperature (Tinc) was: T e = 119.68 – (3.5793 x Tinc) in an interval of 23°C to 27°C (n=8; r2=0.8631; p=0.0008). The description of the embryonic development and eleutheroembryo contribute to the biological knowledge of the species and the development of methods the controlled reproduction and larviculture of E. labriformis.