Malpelo fish

Reef fish

Reef fish

Not endemic · 78 species, 5 of them endemic

This one table holds every reef fish in the primer, including the ones dive write-ups mention most often, the fish recorded on eight REEF surveys at Malpelo in October 2026, and the five species found nowhere else, which are shaded and tagged Endemic. Four of those five are small bottom-dwellers that you find by looking at rock and coral, not open water. Expect big schools of jacks and snappers, free-swimming morays, and hawkfish and angelfish on the rock.

Table 1 — Reef fish for Malpelo, grouped as on the REEF Tropical Eastern Pacific survey sheets, with the groups in the sheet’s order and Other last, then sorted by common name. Each fish’s family is shown under its scientific name. Fish not recorded on the surveys go in the REEF group for their family; families with no group of their own, such as angelfishes, goatfishes and barracudas, go under Other, as King Angelfish and Moorish Idol do on the sheets. The five endemic species are shaded and tagged. The “REEF surveys” column pools eight REEF surveys made at Malpelo from 10 to 12 October 2026: it gives the highest abundance recorded for that fish on any one dive, and how many of the eight dives it appeared on. A dash means it was not recorded on any of them. Photo credits are at the bottom of the page. Four fish recorded only on the later surveys, the Cortez sea chub, milkfish, cottonmouth jack and rainbow basslet, have no photo yet. Two fish are listed here under their current names, with the older name after them: the rainbow chub, long Sectator ocyurus, is now placed in Kyphosus, and the Pacific creolefish, long Paranthias colonus, is now placed in Cephalopholis. The FishBase and Smithsonian links for those two still open under the older name. The FishBase link for the rough triggerfish uses the current spelling, Canthidermis maculata.

Photo	Common name	Species	REEF surveys (Oct 2026)	Profile
Blenny Blenniidae, Chaenopsidae, Labrisomidae · 4 species
	Dendritic blenny	Gobioclinus dendriticusLabrisomidae	Few 5/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Malpelo barnacle blenny Endemic	Acanthemblemaria stephensiChaenopsidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Panamic fanged blenny	Ophioblennius steindachneriBlenniidae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Sabertooth blenny	Plagiotremus azaleusBlenniidae	Many 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Butterflyfish Chaetodontidae · 1 species
	Barberfish	Johnrandallia nigrirostrisChaetodontidae	Abundant 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Cardinalfish Apogonidae · 1 species
	Blacktip cardinalfish	Apogon atradorsatusApogonidae	Many 7/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Chub Kyphosidae · 2 species
No photo yet	Cortez sea chub	Kyphosus elegansKyphosidae	Few 1/8	FishBase
	Rainbow chub	Kyphosus ocyurus = Sectator ocyurusKyphosidae	Abundant 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Damselfish and chromis Pomacentridae · 6 species
	Bumphead damselfish	Microspathodon bairdiiPomacentridae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Galapagos ringtail damselfish	Stegastes beebeiPomacentridae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Giant damselfish	Microspathodon dorsalisPomacentridae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Panamic sergeant major	Abudefduf troscheliiPomacentridae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Scissortail chromis	Azurina atrilobataPomacentridae	Abundant 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Yellowtail damselfish	Stegastes arcifronsPomacentridae	Many 6/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Eel Congridae, Muraenidae · 4 species
	Fine-spotted moray	Gymnothorax doviiMuraenidae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Galapagos garden eel	Heteroconger klausewitziCongridae	Abundant 2/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Panamic green moray	Gymnothorax castaneusMuraenidae	Few 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Zebra moray	Gymnomuraena zebraMuraenidae	Single 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Hawkfish Cirrhitidae · 3 species
	Coral hawkfish	Cirrhitichthys oxycephalusCirrhitidae	Abundant 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Giant hawkfish	Cirrhitus rivulatusCirrhitidae	Few 6/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Longnose hawkfish	Oxycirrhites typusCirrhitidae	Single 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Jack Carangidae · 7 species
	African pompano	Alectis ciliarisCarangidae	Few 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Almaco jack	Seriola rivolianaCarangidae	Few 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Bigeye trevally (bigeye jack)	Caranx sexfasciatusCarangidae	Abundant 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Bluefin trevally	Caranx melampygusCarangidae	Few 4/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
No photo yet	Cottonmouth jack	Uraspis helvolaCarangidae	Single 1/8	FishBase
	Rainbow runner	Elagatis bipinnulataCarangidae	Many 6/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Steel pompano	Trachinotus stilbeCarangidae	Abundant 7/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Jawfish Opistognathidae · 1 species
	Panamanian jawfish	Opistognathus panamaensisOpistognathidae	Few 2/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Puffer Diodontidae, Tetraodontidae · 6 species
	Freckled porcupinefish	Diodon holocanthusDiodontidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Guineafowl puffer	Arothron meleagrisTetraodontidae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Longnose puffer	Sphoeroides lobatusTetraodontidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Porcupinefish	Diodon hystrixDiodontidae	Few 6/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Spotted sharpnose puffer	Canthigaster punctatissimaTetraodontidae	Few 4/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	White-spotted puffer	Arothron hispidusTetraodontidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
Seabass Serranidae · 9 species
	Barred serrano	Serranus psittacinusSerranidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Cocos serrano	Serranus ticoSerranidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Flag cabrilla	Epinephelus labriformisSerranidae	Few 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Leather bass	Dermatolepis dermatolepisSerranidae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Mottled soapfish	Rypticus bicolorSerranidae	Single 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Pacific creolefish	Cephalopholis colonus = Paranthias colonusSerranidae	Abundant 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Pacific graysby	Cephalopholis panamensisSerranidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
No photo yet	Rainbow basslet	Liopropoma fasciatumSerranidae	Single 1/8	FishBase
	Sailfin grouper	Mycteroperca olfaxSerranidae	Many 5/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Snapper Lutjanidae · 7 species
	Barred pargo	Hoplopagrus guentheriiLutjanidae	Few 2/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Blue-and-gold snapper	Lutjanus viridisLutjanidae	Abundant 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Golden snapper	Lutjanus inermisLutjanidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Jordan's snapper	Lutjanus jordaniLutjanidae	Abundant 5/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Mullet snapper	Lutjanus aratusLutjanidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Pacific dog snapper	Lutjanus novemfasciatusLutjanidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Yellow snapper	Lutjanus argentiventrisLutjanidae	Few 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Squirrelfish Holocentridae · 2 species
	Bigscale soldierfish	Myripristis berndtiHolocentridae	Few 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Panamic soldierfish	Myripristis leiognathusHolocentridae	Many 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Surgeonfish Acanthuridae · 4 species
	Razor surgeonfish	Prionurus laticlaviusAcanthuridae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Striped-fin surgeonfish	Ctenochaetus marginatusAcanthuridae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Whitecheek surgeonfish	Acanthurus nigricansAcanthuridae	Few 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Yellowfin surgeonfish	Acanthurus xanthopterusAcanthuridae	Few 4/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Tilefishes Malacanthidae · 1 species
	Flagtail blanquillo (quakerfish)	Malacanthus brevirostrisMalacanthidae	Few 1/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Triggerfish Balistidae · 5 species
	Black triggerfish	Melichthys nigerBalistidae	Many 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Finescale triggerfish	Balistes polylepisBalistidae	Few 2/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Orangeside triggerfish	Sufflamen verresBalistidae	Many 6/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Pinktail triggerfish	Melichthys viduaBalistidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Rough triggerfish	Canthidermis maculatusBalistidae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Triplefins Tripterygiidae · 2 species
	Rubinoff's triplefin Endemic	Axoclinus rubinoffiTripterygiidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Twinspot triplefin Endemic	Lepidonectes bimaculataTripterygiidae	Few 4/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Wrasse Labridae · 4 species
	Chameleon wrasse	Halichoeres dispilusLabridae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Cortez rainbow wrasse	Thalassoma lucasanumLabridae	Abundant 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Malpelo wrasse Endemic	Halichoeres malpeloLabridae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Mexican hogfish	Bodianus diplotaeniaLabridae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
Other Chanidae, Fistulariidae, Gobiidae, Monacanthidae, Mullidae, Ostraciidae, Pomacanthidae, Sphyraenidae, Zanclidae · 9 species
	Barred filefish	Cantherhines dumeriliiMonacanthidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	King angelfish	Holacanthus passerPomacanthidae	Many 8/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Mexican goatfish	Mulloidichthys dentatusMullidae	Many 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
No photo yet	Milkfish	Chanos chanosChanidae	Few 1/8	FishBase
	Moorish idol	Zanclus cornutusZanclidae	Few 3/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Pelican barracuda	Sphyraena idiastesSphyraenidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Pretty goby Endemic	Chriolepis lepidotusGobiidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian · GobyNet
	Reef cornetfish	Fistularia commersoniiFistulariidae	Few 5/8	FishBase · Smithsonian
	Whitespotted boxfish	Ostracion meleagrisOstraciidae	—	FishBase · Smithsonian

The pretty goby photo is from GobyNet, where the photographer is credited. FishBase lists two of these species under slightly different spellings (Lepidonectes bimaculatus, Chriolepis lepidota).

Other animals divers mention: eagle rays, spiny lobsters at D'Artagnan, a thorny oyster, sea stars, urchins, sponges and orange cup corals on the reef, a yellow frogfish at Puerta del Cielo, scorpionfish at La Ferreteria, red mullets and butterflyfish, and humpback whales seen or heard in the distance.

Pelagics

Open water

Pelagics · seen in the blue, not on the reef

UNESCO notes major aggregations of tuna, plus billfish and giant grouper. Dorado and albacore also appear in Colombian Navy reports of illegal catches in the sanctuary.

Mahi-mahi / doradoCoryphaena hippurus · CoryphaenidaeFishBase · Smithsonian · Wikipedia

Indo-Pacific sailfishIstiophorus platypterus · IstiophoridaeFishBase · Smithsonian · Wikipedia

Blue marlinMakaira nigricans · Istiophoridae (one of several marlins)FishBase · Smithsonian · Wikipedia

Ocean sunfishMola mola · Molidae (species not specified by DivePass)Occasional in the blue water off La Pared del Náufrago.FishBase · Smithsonian · Wikipedia

WahooAcanthocybium solandri · ScombridaeApproached a diver at El Acuario.FishBase · Smithsonian · Wikipedia

Yellowfin tunaThunnus albacares · ScombridaeFishBase · Smithsonian · Wikipedia

Photos are from FishBase; the photographer is credited on each species page. The DivePass guide places yellowfin tuna patrolling the blue water around the pinnacles, and sailfish in the blue water off La Pared del Náufrago. DAN reports a wall of bonito, yellowfin tuna and a wahoo at El Acuario.

Credits

Fish photo credits

Photos and their sources

Photos credited to Megan Applegate are her own, taken on her dives, and are © Megan Applegate, all rights reserved. They are listed first in the table below.

Most of these photos are on Wikimedia Commons under open licences that require credit. Most were taken elsewhere in the Pacific or the world, not at Malpelo, so they show what the species looks like.

Most of these are Wikimedia Commons or iNaturalist photos under CC BY or CC BY-SA, which allow any reuse as long as the photographer is credited.