Grammistes sexlineatus (Thunberg, 1792)

Common Name and Size

Grammistes sexlineatus, commonly known as the six-lined soapfish, is a medium-sized fish that can reach a maximum total length of 30 centimeters.

Base Body Color

Its body has a dark brown base color, marked with up to six horizontal white to yellow lines.

Line Count Variation with Maturity

The number of these lines changes as the fish matures.

Juvenile Pattern Under 17.5 mm

Juveniles smaller than approximately 17.5 millimeters have white to yellow dots instead of lines, scattered across their dark base color.

Pattern Transition Post 17.5 mm

After reaching this size, the dots gradually transition into full lines.

Pattern at 5 cm Length

When the fish grows to 5 centimeters long, it has three developed horizontal lines.

Pattern at 8 cm Length

It only gains its full set of six distinctive horizontal lines once it reaches 8 centimeters in length.

Adult Pattern Near Maximum Size

In adult specimens that are close to the maximum recorded size, these lines often break apart into small short strokes and dots.

General Distribution

The six-lined soapfish is widely distributed across tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific.

Specific Range Extent

Its range extends from the eastern coast of Africa to the oceanic islands of the Pacific, including Hawaii and the Red Sea, and also stretches from southern Japan down to northern New Zealand.

Habitat and Depth Range

This species inhabits coastal rocky reefs and coral reefs, found from shallow waters down to depths between 40 and 50 meters.