Spotted Soapfish

Scientific Name: Pogonoperca punctata
Family: Soapfishes – Serranidae
Maximum Size: 35cm
Identification: Brown with dense covering of small white spots; 5 black saddles on head, back and tail base; skin flap on chin.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs.
Hide-out: Clear waters of outer reef slopes in 20-120m.
Location: Asian Pacific – S.W. Japan and Indonesia to New Caledonia.

Six-Lined Soapfish

Scientific Name: Grammistes sexlineatus
Family: Soapfishes – Serranidae
Maximum Size: 27cm
Identification: Black with 6-9 white to gold stripes.
Favourite: Solitary.
Hide-out: Under ledges or in recesses of lagoons, reef flats or seaward reefs to 20m.
Location: Indo-Pacific – Red Sea and E. Africa to Marquesas Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Ocellated Soapfish

Scientific Name: Grammistops ocellatus
Family: Soapfishes – Serranidae
Maximum Size: 13cm
Identification: Brown with large pale-edged dark brown to blackish spot on gill cover. Similar Mottled Soapfish has larger scales and is mottled.
Favourite: Solitary or in pairs; cryptic.
Hide-out: Deep inside caves and crevices of lagoons and outer slopes in 8-30m.
Location: Indo-Pacific – E. Africa to Society Is. in French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Mottled Soapfish

Scientific Name: Pseudogramma polyacanthum
Family: Soapfishes – Serranidae
Maximum Size: 7.5cm
Identification: Mottled brown; large pale-edged dark spot on gill cover. Similar to Ocellated Soapfish has much smaller scales and is not mottled.
Favourite: Solitary and cryptic.
Hide-out: Caves and crevices of coral reefs in 1-61m.
Location: Indo-Pacific – E. Africa to Pitcaim Is. east of French Polynesia. S.W. Japan to Australia.

Doublebanded Soapfish

Scientific Name: Diploprion bifasciatum
Family: Soapfishes – Serranidae
Maximum Size: 25cm
Identification: Yellow head, body and fins; dark brown to black eye bar and broad bar from mid-dorsal fin to anal fin.
Favourite: Solitary or form small groups.
Hide-out: Coastal reefs, often in turbid water in 1-18m.
Location: Indo-Asian Pacific – India and Maldives to Papua New Guinea. S.W. Japan to Australia and Vanuatu.