Mottled soapfish
📖 Overview
Lives in rocky reefs, sheltering in caves and crevices but also encountered in the open . Lies motionless, often on its side, hidden in dark recesses. Actively hunts at night, preying on small fish .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 3; Dorsal soft rays (total): 23 - 26; Anal soft rays: 16 - 18; Vertebrae: 24. Sides of body, excluding cheeks, mottled with cream to pale-brown blotches on dark background, reaching onto bases of median fins; blotches are poorly-defined and often coalescing. Body and head, excluding lips and maxillary, with embedded scales. Dorsal spines 3 (rarely 2). Lower jaw projecting, with prominent fleshy protuberance. Numerous, small pores, in patches, along ventral surface of lower jaw and on the free-edge of preopercle in > 6.5 cm SL specimens .: short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Mottled soapfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; demersal; depth range 3 - 68 m . Tropical
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🍽️ Edibility & Flavour
"Mottled soapfish is an edible species."
- Clear, bright eyes — cloudy eyes indicate age
- Firm flesh that springs back when pressed
- Fresh ocean smell, never strong or ammonia-like
- Bright red or pink gills, not grey or brown
- Shiny, moist skin with scales tightly attached
- Cloudy or sunken eyes
- Strong fishy or ammonia odour
- Soft, mushy flesh that doesn't spring back
- Discoloured or dry flesh
⚡ Nutrition
Per 100g cooked - Source: USDA FoodData Central
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 18.2 g |
| Omega-3 (total) | 131 mg |
🔬 Mercury Safety
Mercury data for Mottled soapfish has not yet been assigned. Please consult FDA/EPA guidance for general seafood safety advice.
🌿 Sustainability
🔬 Full Nutritional Profile
Per 100g - Raw, per 100g - Source: USDA FoodData Central templates (generic fish average)
📊 Population Dynamics
| Year | Region | Index | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | - |
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | mottled soapfish · pacific soapfish |
| 🏳️Catalan | Peix sabó mucosat |
| 🌍CES | kanic podmračený |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Peixe-sabão-de-Galápagos |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | jabonero moteado · Pez Jabón · Zorra |
| 🇨🇳Chinese | 雙色皂鱸 |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rhypticus xanti | Gill | 1862 | Synonym |
| Rypticus saponaceus bicolor | Valenciennes | 1846 | Synonym |
| Rypticus xanti | Gill | 1862 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 14 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Mottled soapfish ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.