Maldives Marine Life

Marine life of Maldivian waters

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Indian soapfish
No photo available
Illustration
Illustration: Homefront / Abacus AI, © Homefront AuctionsOriginal illustration based on published descriptions

Indian soapfish

Pogonoperca ocellata

Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).

English
Indian soapfish
Scientific
Pogonoperca ocellata
Dhivehi
No recorded Dhivehi name
Group
Reef fish
Family
Grammistidae (soapfishes)
Maximum size
Up to about 30 cm (total length)
Depth and habitat
Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 0 to 100 m
IUCN status
LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2017

Description

A soapfish densely covered in close-set white spots forming a net-like pattern, with a pale yellow first dorsal fin, reaching about 30 cm. It lives around coral heads and rocky reefs deeper than about 25 m.

Sources

Dhivehi name source: No Dhivehi name found in MRS 1997 (available chapters), FishBase (country: Maldives) or Dhivehi Wikipedia.