Spotted Soapfish

(Pogonoperca punctata)

Pogonoperca Soapfish should only be added to well established aquariums with plenty of rockwork with caves and crevices to hide in. Soapfish are very secretive and will hide until food is presented. They have low metabolism's and only require feeding every other day. Soapfish are usually very friendly fish except to fish or crustaceans they can fit in their mouth. Should be housed with larger peaceful tank mates and only one grouper per aquarium. Provide a diet of meaty enriched foods. If not eating offer live foods such as enriched Brine, Glass/Grass shrimp, black worms and fiddler crabs to entice a feeding response. Soapfish emit large amounts of waste ensure the filtration system can handle the waste. Some Soapfish can release a toxin call grammistin when threatenedd or die that looks like soap.

Spotted Soapfish are also sometimes known as the Clown Grouper. Not often seen in the aquarium trade. Spotted Soapfish are an overall gray color with white spots and five triangle shaped spots on the fishes back. The Spotted Soapfish can grow to a little over 14".

We recommend a minimum aquarium size of 100 gallons or larger for this species.

Water conditions: Salinity 1.020 - 1.025, Temp (F) 72 - 78, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Alkalinity 8 - 12 dKH

  • Care: CareModerateModerate
  • Behavior: BehaviorAgressiveAgressive
  • Diet: DietLive FoodLive Food DietFrozen FoodFrozen Food
  • Habitat: HabitatReefReef
  • Light: LightMediumMedium