List of fishes in the Red Sea
Gulf of Aqaba
The Gulf of Aqaba is home to 1,270 species of fish, over 3,000 species of invertebrates and corals, dozens of bird species, 4 species of sea turtles, and over 10 species of marine mammals. The Gulf of Aqaba is relatively small, and its dimensions reach 1% of the total area of the Red Sea, which is also not large on a global scale. It is as deep as it is – 1,860m – and its opening to the Red Sea itself is shallow and narrow. Water temperatures are borderline: less than 20°C in winter, and the salinity is also extreme, 4.1% salts. These two severely limit the distribution of flora and fauna. Despite all this, the reefs of the Red Sea and its bays are known for their richness and biodiversity.
Deepwater species
See the List of deep water fish of the Red Sea
Demersal species
- Ambassidae
- Apistidae
- Ocellated waspfish
- Aploactinidae
- Apogonidae
- Ariidae
- Arius thalassinus, Giant seacatfish
- Ariommatidae
- Balistidae
- Abalistes stellaris, Starry triggerfish
- Batrachoididae
- Belonidae
- Red Sea houndfish)
- Tylosurus crocodilus(Péron & Lesueur, 1821)
- T. c. crocodilus (hound needlefish)
- T. c. crocodilus (
- Blenniidae
- Alloblennius jugularis, Jugular blenny
- Alloblennius pictus
- Alticus kirkii, Kirk's blenny
- Alticus saliens, Leaping blenny
- Aden blenny
- Moustached rockskipper
- Arabian blenny
- Ecsenius dentex
- Entomacrodus epalzeocheilos, Fringelip rockskipper
- Highbrow rockskipper
- Istiblennius flaviumbrinus
- Scarface rockskipper
- Pallid rockskipper
- Arab blenny
- Omobranchus steinitzi
- Parablennius cyclops
- Arabian fangblenny
- Japanese snake blenny
- Hairtail blenny
- Bothidae
- Callionymidae
- Callionymus bentuviai
- Callionymus erythraeus, Smallhead dragonet
- Callionymus filamentosus, Blotchfin dragonet
- Callionymus gardineri, Longtail dragonet
- Callionymus marleyi, Sand dragonet
- Callionymus muscatensis, Muscat dragonet
- Callionymus oxycephalus
- Diplogrammus infulatus, Sawspine dragonet
- Diplogrammus randalli
- Synchiropus sechellensis
- Caproidae
- Carcharhinidae
- Congridae
- Diploconger polystigmatus
- Gorgasia cotroneii
- Gorgasia sillneri
- Heteroconger balteatus
- Uroconger lepturus, Slender conger
- Creediidae
- Limnichthys nitidus, Sand submarine
- Cynoglossidae
- Largescale tonguesole
- Fourlined tonguesole
- Cynoglossus dollfusi
- Ripplefin tonguesole
- Cynoglossus kopsii, Shortheaded tonguesole
- Cynoglossus lachneri, Lachner's tonguesole
- Long tongue sole
- Cynoglossus pottii
- Cynoglossus sealarki
- Cyprinodontidae
- Aphanius dispar dispar
- Dactylopteridae
- Dactyloptena peterseni, Starry flying gurnard
- Dasyatidae
- Dasyatis bennetti, Bennett's stingray
- Sharpnose stingray
- Himantura imbricata, Scaly whipray
- Gerreidae
- Gobiesocidae
- Gobiidae
- Amblyeleotris triguttata, Triplespot shrimpgoby
- Amblygobius magnusi
- Amoya signatus, Tusk goby
- Arcygobius baliurus
- Callogobius amikami
- Callogobius dori
- Callogobius flavobrunneus, Slimy goby
- Coryogalops anomolus, Anomalous goby
- Coryphopterus humeralis
- Cryptocentroides arabicus, Arabian goby
- Indo-Pacific tropical sand goby
- Fusigobius maximus
- Gobius koseirensis
- Gobius leucomelas
- Hetereleotris diademata
- Hetereleotris vulgaris, Common goby
- Opua elati
- Pleurosicya prognatha
- Pomatoschistus marmoratus, Marbled goby
- Psilogobius randalli
- Silhouettea aegyptia, Red Sea goby
- Silhouettea chaimi
- Silhouettea insinuans, Phantom goby
- Trimma filamentosus
- Gymnuridae
- Gymnura poecilura, Longtail butterfly ray
- Haemulidae
- Hemigaleidae
- Hemipristis elongata, Snaggletooth shark
- Holocentridae
- Kraemeriidae
- Labridae
- Cheilinus abudjubbe
- Pteragogus pelycus, Sideburn wrasse
- Suezichthys caudavittatus, Spottail wrasse
- Suezichthys russelli, Russell's wrasse
- Xyrichtys bimaculatus, Two-spot razorfish
- Xyrichtys javanicus
- Xyrichtys niger
- Leiognathidae
- Gazza minuta, Toothpony
- Leiognathus berbis, Berber ponyfish
- Leiognathus bindus, Orangefin ponyfish
- Leiognathus elongatus, Slender ponyfish
- Leiognathus equulus, Common ponyfish
- Leiognathus fasciatus, Striped ponyfish
- Leiognathus klunzingeri
- Leiognathus leuciscus, Whipfin ponyfish
- Leiognathus lineolatus, Ornate ponyfish
- Splendid ponyfish
- Pugnose ponyfish
- Secutor ruconius, Deep pugnose ponyfish
- Liparidae
- Lophiidae
- Lophiomus setigerus, Blackmouth angler
- Lutjanidae
- Malacanthidae
- Microdesmidae
- Paragunnellichthys springeri
- Brachaluteres baueri
- Paraluteres arqat
- Paramonacanthus frenatus, Wedgetail filefish
- Paramonacanthus oblongus, Hair-finned filefish
- Paramonacanthus pusillus
- Stephanolepis diaspros, Reticulated leatherjacket
- Mugilidae
- Liza macrolepis, Largescale mullet
- Liza subviridis, Greenback mullet
- Liza tade, Tade mullet
- Valamugil cunnesius, Longarm mullet
- Mullidae
- Upeneus pori, Por's goatfish
- Sulphur goatfish
- Muraenesocidae
- Indian pike conger
- Muraenesox cinereus, Daggertooth pike conger
- Muraenidae
- Gymnothorax angusticauda
- Gymnothorax herrei
- Whitespotted moray
- Gymnothorax tile
- Uropterygius genie
- Uropterygius golanii
- Narcinidae
- Nemipteridae
- Delagoa threadfin bream
- Japanese threadfin bream
- Nemipterus peronii, Notchedfin threadfin bream
- Randall's threadfin bream
- Nemipterus zysron, Slender threadfin bream
- Parascolopsis aspinosa, Smooth dwarf monocle bream
- Parascolopsis eriomma, Rosy dwarf monocle bream
- Parascolopsis inermis, Unarmed dwarf monocle bream
- Scaly dwarf monocle bream
- Nettastomatidae
- Saurenchelys lateromaculatus
- Ophichthidae
- Myrophis microchir
- Skythrenchelys lentiginosa
- Yirrkala tenuis, Thin sand-eel
- Ophidiidae
- Ophidion smithi
- Sirembo jerdoni, Brown-banded cusk-eel
- Opistognathidae
- Paralichthyidae
- Largetooth flounder
- Pseudorhombus elevatus, Deep flounder
- Pempheridae
- Black-edged sweeper
- Pinguipedidae
- Smallscale grubfish
- Parapercis simulata
- Parapercis somaliensis, Somali sandperch
- Platycephalidae
- Plesiopidae
- Polynemidae
- Striped threadfin
- Polydactylus sextarius, Blackspot threadfin
- Pomacentridae
- Chromis axillaris, Grey chromis
- Freshwater demoiselle
- Neopomacentrus miryae
- Priacanthidae
- Pristidae
- Pristis zijsron, Longcomb sawfish
- Psettodidae
- Pseudochromidae
- Ptereleotridae
- Rhinobatidae
- Rhinobatos granulatus, Sharpnose guitarfish
- Rhinobatos schlegelii, Yellow guitarfish
- Scott Salmon
- Samaridae
- Samaris cristatus, Cockatoo righteye flounder
- Scorpaenidae
- Serranidae
- Dotted grouper
- Epinephelus latifasciatus, Striped grouper
- Epinephelus radiatus, Oblique-banded grouper
- Serranus cabrilla, Comber
- Soleidae
- Sparidae
- Picnic seabream
- Acanthopagrus latus, Yellowfin seabream
- Argyrops megalommatus
- King soldierbream
- Crenidens crenidens, Karenteen seabream
- Lithognathus mormyrus, Striped seabream
- Synanceiidae
- Choridactylus multibarbus, Orangebanded stingfish
- Minous coccineus, Onestick stingfish
- Minous inermis, Alcock's scorpionfish
- Grey stingfish
- Red Sea stonefish
- Syngnathidae
- Dunckerocampus boylei, Broad-banded Pipefish
- Hippichthys cyanospilos, Blue-spotted pipefish
- Hippichthys spicifer, Bellybarred pipefish
- Sea pony
- Hippocampus jayakari, Jayakar's seahorse
- Hippocampus lichtensteinii, Lichtenstein's seahorse
- Lissocampus bannwarthi
- Siokunichthys herrei
- Syngnathus macrophthalmus
- Syngnathus safina
- Trachyrhamphus longirostris
- Synodontidae
- Synodus hoshinonis, Blackear lizardfish
- Synodus macrops, Triplecross lizardfish
- Terapontidae
- Jarbua terapon
- Tetraodontidae
- Lagocephalus lunaris, Green rough-backed puffer
- Lagocephalus spadiceus, Half-smooth golden pufferfish
- Tetrarogidae
- Torpedinidae
- Panther electric ray
- Torpedo suessii
- Triakidae
- Mustelus mosis, Arabian smooth-hound
- Trichonotidae
- Triglidae
- Lepidotrigla bispinosa, Bullhorn gurnard
- Spotwing gurnard
- Tripterygiidae
- Barred triplefin
- Enneapterygius destai
- Enneapterygius obscurus
- Highcrest triplefin
- Hotlips triplefin
- Uranoscopidae
Pelagic species
- Alopiidae
- Thintail thresher
- Belonidae
- Bregmacerotidae
- Bregmaceros arabicus
- Bregmaceros mcclellandi, Spotted codlet
- Bregmaceros nectabanus, Smallscale codlet
- Carangidae
- Alepes vari, Herring scad
- Carangoides ciliarius
- Caranx sansun
- Decapterus macarellus, Mackerel scad
- Chirocentridae
- Clupeidae
- Amblygaster leiogaster, Smooth-belly sardinella
- Dussumieria acuta, Rainbow sardine
- Dussumieria elopsoides, Slender rainbow sardine
- Round herring
- Herklotsichthys lossei, Gulf herring
- Herklotsichthys punctatus, Spotback herring
- Kelee shad
- Sardinella longiceps, Indian oil sardine
- Spratelloides gracilis, Silver-stripe round herring
- Coryphaenidae
- Coryphaena equiselis, Pompano dolphinfish
- Common dolphinfish
- Echeneidae
- Remora brachyptera, Spearfish remora
- Remorina albescens, White suckerfish
- Elopidae
- Tenpounder
- Engraulidae
- Engraulis encrasicolus, European anchovy
- Stolephorus indicus, Indian anchovy
- Thryssa setirostris, Longjaw thryssa
- Exocoetidae
- Cheilopogon cyanopterus, Margined flyingfish
- Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus altipennis, Smallhead flyingfish
- Cypselurus oligolepis, Largescale flyingfish
- Tropical two-wing flyingfish
- Hirundichthys rondeletii, Black wing flyingfish
- Hirundichthys socotranus
- Sailfin flyingfish
- Parexocoetus mento, African sailfin flyingfish
- Hemiramphidae
- Istiophoridae
- Istiophorus platypterus, Indo-Pacific sailfish
- Makaira indica, Black marlin
- Tetrapturus audax, Striped marlin
- Lactariidae
- Lactarius lactarius, False trevally
- Leiognathidae
- Malacanthidae
- Molidae
- Mola mola, Ocean sunfish
- Ranzania laevis, Slender sunfish
- Monodactylidae
- Silver moony
- Mugilidae
- Liza carinata, Keeled mullet
- Myliobatidae
- Manta ehrenbergii
- Smoothtail mobula
- Rhincodontidae
- Rhincodon typus, Whale shark
- Scombridae
- Auxis rochei rochei, Bullet tuna
- Auxis thazard thazard, Frigate tuna
- Euthynnus affinis, Kawakawa
- Katsuwonus pelamis, Skipjack tuna
- Rastrelliger kanagurta, Indian mackerel
- Sarda orientalis, Striped bonito
- Scomber japonicus, Chub mackerel
- Scomberomorus commerson, Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel
- Thunnus albacares, Yellowfin tuna
- Thunnus tonggol, Longtail tuna
- Serranidae
- Sphyraenidae
- Yellowstripe barracuda
- Saurida macrolepis
- Xiphiidae
Reef-associated species
See the List of reef fish of the Red Sea
See also
- List of red sea sharks