Leopard hind
Cephalopholis leopardus
Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).
- English
- Leopard hind
- Scientific
- Cephalopholis leopardus
- Dhivehi
- ރަތްތިކި ފާނަRaiythiki faana
- Maximum size
- Up to about 24 cm (total length); max. published weight 35.64 g
- Depth and habitat
- Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 0 to 40 m (usually 3 to 20 m)
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2017
Description
One of the smallest groupers, reddish brown with many red-orange spots on the head and a mottled pinkish body. Two dark saddles at the base of the tail, and a dark streak on the upper tail lobe, separate it from the similar darkfin hind. It hides in caves and crevices in coral-rich lagoon pinnacles, channels and outer slopes, feeding on small fish and crustaceans.
In the Maldives
Dhivehi Wikipedia (MRS-derived) gives raiythiki faana, while FishBase lists raiy faana; flagged for checking.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Cephalopholis-leopardus.html
- fishbase.se /comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=6448&GenusName=Cephalopholis&SpeciesN
- dv.wikipedia.org /wiki/ރަތްތިކި_ފާނަ
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Serránido_(Cephalopholis_leopardus),_Zanzíbar,_Tanzania,_20
Dhivehi name source: FishBase (country: Maldives) gives a different name: 'Raiy faana'. Thaana from the Dhivehi Wikipedia article 'ރަތްތިކި ފާނަ' (derived from the MRS 1997 Dhivehi edition). No published Latin-script form found; 'Raiythiki faana' is Pax's transliteration of the Thaana (Malé Latin conventions). FLAG: sources disagree; needs a Dhivehi speaker. FLAG: Latin form is a transliteration, not a published spelling.