The Complete List of Fish of Somalia

Somalia’s long coastline and mix of coral reefs, mangroves and deep-water channels support a wide variety of marine life and fisheries important to local communities and regional biodiversity. The coastal habitats change quickly from sheltered bays to open ocean, so species composition can vary a lot along the shore.

There are 95 Fish of Somalia, ranging from African Moony to Zebra Shark. For each species you’ll find below entries organized as Scientific name,Habitat & distribution,Max length (cm), giving clear, comparable details to help identification, research and field checks—you’ll find below useful information for each entry.

How complete and current is this list of Somali fish species?

The list reflects 95 recorded species compiled from regional surveys, museum records and recent field guides, but marine inventories evolve: new records, taxonomic changes or range shifts may occur, so treat this as a strong baseline and consult recent papers or local experts for the latest updates.

How should I use the Scientific name,Habitat & distribution,Max length (cm) fields when identifying a fish?

Start with the Scientific name to avoid common-name confusion, use Habitat & distribution to narrow likely species by location and environment, and check Max length (cm) to rule out size mismatches—combine these fields with images or a field guide for reliable identification.

Fish of Somalia

Images and Descriptions

Whale Shark

The world’s largest fish, this gentle giant is a filter-feeder with a unique spot pattern. As an endangered species, its presence in Somali waters highlights the region’s global importance for marine megafauna conservation and potential for eco-tourism.

Yellowfin Tuna

A large, fast-swimming predator with distinctive yellow fins, forming the backbone of Somalia’s commercial fishery. Highly valued for its meat in international markets, it is a key economic resource sought after by both local and foreign fleets.

Somali Cavefish

A truly unique, critically endangered species found nowhere else on Earth. This small fish is completely blind and lacks pigmentation, having adapted to a life of perpetual darkness in underground water systems, surviving on scarce bacterial films.

Scalloped Hammerhead

Instantly recognizable by its ‘hammer-shaped’ head, which improves sensory perception. This critically endangered shark often forms large schools. Its presence underscores the need for conservation measures against overfishing and bycatch in Somali waters.

Giant Manta Ray

An enormous, graceful ray that filter-feeds on plankton near the surface. With the largest brain of any fish, this intelligent and gentle giant is a vulnerable species facing threats from targeted fisheries and bycatch, making its protection crucial.

Humphead Wrasse

A massive, intelligent reef fish with a prominent forehead hump and thick lips. This endangered species plays a vital role in reef health by preying on crown-of-thorns starfish. It is highly sought after in the live reef fish trade.

Indo-Pacific Sailfish

One of the fastest fish in the ocean, famous for its spectacular sail-like dorsal fin. A prized game fish, its acrobatic leaps and speed make it a legendary catch for sport fishers in Somalia’s offshore waters.

Tiger Shark

A large, apex predator known for its distinctive stripes and indiscriminate diet. As a near-threatened species, it plays a crucial role in maintaining healthy marine ecosystems by controlling populations of other species. It is powerful and potentially dangerous.

Skipjack Tuna

A medium-sized, schooling tuna that is one of the most commercially important fish species in the world. It is a cornerstone of the global canned tuna industry and a vital component of Somalia’s offshore fishery, known for its strong flavor.

Potato Grouper

A huge, territorial grouper with dark, potato-like blotches. This inquisitive and powerful predator is a top attraction for divers on Somali reefs. As a vulnerable species, it is susceptible to overfishing due to its slow growth and predictable behavior.

Great Barracuda

A formidable predator with a long, silver body and a mouthful of dagger-like teeth. Often seen hovering motionless, it relies on lightning-fast acceleration to ambush prey. Its intimidating appearance makes it a memorable sight for divers and snorkelers.

Dorado

Also known as mahi-mahi, this brilliantly colored fish is prized for its fighting ability and delicious meat. It is one of the fastest-growing fish in the ocean, making it a relatively sustainable choice for commercial and recreational fishing.

Oceanic Whitetip Shark

A formidable and opportunistic oceanic predator, identified by its long, white-tipped fins. Once abundant, it is now critically endangered due to overfishing, primarily as bycatch in tuna longline fisheries. Its conservation is a global priority.

Spangled Emperor

A highly sought-after food fish with iridescent blue lines on its face. A versatile predator, it is a key species for local artisanal fishers along the entire Somali coastline, caught using various methods from handlines to traps.

Giant Trevally

A powerful apex predator of the reef, known for its aggressive hunting strategies and immense strength. The ‘GT’ is a legendary game fish that tests the skill and gear of even the most experienced anglers, making it a top sport fishing target.

Swordfish

An iconic billfish recognized by its long, flat sword used to slash prey. A highly migratory species, it is a valuable catch in Somalia’s commercial longline fishery, prized for its firm, flavorful steaks in markets worldwide.

Humpback Red Snapper

A common and conspicuous reef fish, often forming large, slow-moving schools during the day. Its distinctive humpbacked profile and reddish hue make it easy to identify. It is an important part of the local reef fishery.

Blacktip Reef Shark

A small, timid shark easily identified by the prominent black tips on its fins. It is one of the most common sharks found in shallow reef environments and is a frequent and exciting sight for snorkelers and divers along the coast.

African Sharptooth Catfish

A large, air-breathing catfish that can survive in harsh, low-oxygen water and even move over land. It is a highly resilient and important food fish in Somalia’s inland regions, providing a vital source of protein for local communities.

Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray

A vibrant and beautiful ray with electric blue spots that serve as a warning of its venomous tail spines. Commonly found half-buried in the sand or hiding under coral ledges, it is a popular subject for underwater photographers.

Wahoo

One of the fastest fish in the sea, the wahoo is a sleek, torpedo-shaped predator prized by sport fishermen for its blistering speed and high-quality meat. It is often caught while trolling in the deep blue waters off Somalia’s coast.

Indian Mackerel

A small, schooling fish that is a cornerstone of coastal fisheries in the Indian Ocean. It is an affordable and vital source of protein for many Somalis, caught in large numbers by artisanal fishers using nets.

Milkfish

A large, silvery fish that is the sole living species in its family. Known for its bony flesh, it is an important food fish in many parts of the world and is found in Somalia’s coastal and estuarine environments, tolerating a wide range of salinities.

Coral Grouper

A brilliantly colored fish, ranging from orange to deep red with bright blue spots. This beautiful but shy predator is a common sight peering out from caves and crevices in healthy coral reefs along the Somali coastline.

Yellow-edged Lyretail

A striking grouper with a crescent-shaped tail and a vibrant red-to-pink body covered in lighter spots. Its fins are tipped with a distinctive bright yellow, making it a beautiful and easily identifiable predator on the reef.

Masked Butterflyfish

A stunning, bright yellow butterflyfish with a dark mask over its eyes. Largely restricted to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, its presence in northern Somalia highlights the unique regional biodiversity. It is a prized species for underwater photographers.

Shortfin Mako Shark

Considered the fastest shark in the world, capable of incredible bursts of speed and acrobatic leaps. This powerful, warm-blooded predator is a formidable hunter of tuna and swordfish. It is endangered due to overfishing and its slow reproductive rate.

Black Marlin

One of the largest and most powerful bony fishes in the world. A legendary big-game fish, it is a formidable opponent for anglers due to its size, strength, and speed. It roams the deep offshore waters hunting tuna and other pelagic fish.

Spotted Eagle Ray

A graceful and majestic ray with a dark back covered in white spots. Often seen ‘flying’ through the water in small groups, it uses its flattened snout to dig for crustaceans and mollusks in the sand. It is also known to leap fully out of the water.

Twobar Anemonefish

A type of clownfish found along the East African coast, living in a symbiotic relationship with sea anemones. Its bold orange, black, and white coloration makes it a popular and charismatic inhabitant of Somalia’s coral reef ecosystems.

Dogtooth Tuna

A powerful, non-tuna predator named for its large, conical teeth. A favorite target for spearfishers and sport anglers, this formidable fish is known for its strength and endurance, patrolling deep reef edges for prey.

Rainbow Runner

A sleek, colorful fish in the jack family, with olive-green to blue upper body and yellow stripes. It is a fast-swimming, schooling species often found in warm oceanic waters and is valued both as a game fish and for its excellent meat.

Two-spot Red Snapper

A large and powerful snapper, infamous for its aggressive nature and potential to carry ciguatera fish poisoning. Its robust build and reddish color make it a formidable predator on the reef, feeding on a variety of fish and crustaceans.

Blue-barred Parrotfish

A large parrotfish that plays a crucial role as a bioeroder, cleaning reefs by eating algae-covered rock. Males are vibrantly colored in blue and green, while females and juveniles are more subdued. They are an important part of a healthy reef ecosystem.

Titan Triggerfish

The largest species of triggerfish, known for its formidable size and highly aggressive behavior, especially when guarding its nest. It can deliver a powerful bite and is capable of moving large rocks to find prey like crabs and sea urchins.

Moorish Idol

An iconic and beautiful reef fish, instantly recognized by its disc-like body, bold black and yellow bands, and long, trailing dorsal fin. Despite its resemblance to butterflyfish, it is the sole member of its own family, Zanclidae.

Emperor Angelfish

A stunningly beautiful fish that undergoes a remarkable transformation. Juveniles have a dramatic pattern of electric blue and white rings, which morphs into the adult’s pattern of yellow and blue stripes with a black ‘mask’ over the eyes.

Powder-blue Surgeonfish

A vibrant and iconic reef fish with a powder-blue body, yellow dorsal fin, and black head. Often seen in large schools grazing on algae, they are highly active and play an important role in keeping coral reefs clean and healthy.

Clown Triggerfish

One of the most spectacular and sought-after fish in the aquarium trade. Its unique pattern of large white spots on a dark belly and intricate yellow markings on its back make it an unmistakable and unforgettable sight on the reef.

Zebra Shark

A distinctive and gentle bottom-dwelling shark. Juveniles are dark with white stripes like a zebra, while adults are tan with dark spots like a leopard. They are nocturnal hunters, feeding on mollusks and crustaceans.

Tawny Nurse Shark

A large, nocturnal bottom-dweller often found resting in caves or under ledges during the day. This powerful but generally placid shark uses suction to pull crabs, octopus, and other prey from crevices in the reef.

Silky Shark

A sleek, slender shark named for its smooth skin. It is a highly migratory, open-ocean species that often associates with schools of tuna. It is vulnerable to overfishing, frequently caught as bycatch in global tuna fisheries.

Spottail Shark

A common, small to medium-sized shark found in coastal waters. It is characterized by a distinct black spot on the lower lobe of its tail fin. This species is often caught in local fisheries and is an important part of the inshore ecosystem.

Bowmouth Guitarfish

A bizarre-looking and critically endangered species that blends features of both a shark and a ray. It has a broad, rounded snout and thorny ridges over its eyes and back, feeding on crabs and shellfish which it crushes with powerful jaws.

Longtail Tuna

A commercially important species of tuna that tends to stay closer to coastlines than its larger relatives. It is a key target for artisanal and semi-industrial fisheries in Somalia, valued for its meat and contribution to local economies.

Striped Marlin

A magnificent billfish known for the faint vertical blue stripes on its sides, which can light up during hunting or when excited. It is a highly prized game fish, famous for its speed, aerial acrobatics, and determined fights when hooked.

Honeycomb Moray Eel

A very large and striking moray eel with a bold pattern of black and white honeycomb-like spots. It is a formidable predator that hides in reef crevices during the day, emerging at night to hunt for fish and octopus.

Cleaner Wrasse

A tiny but vital fish that runs ‘cleaning stations’ on the reef. Larger fish, including predators, queue up to have this wrasse pick parasites and dead tissue from their bodies, gills, and even inside their mouths. A classic example of symbiosis.

Sling-jaw Wrasse

This fish has one of the most remarkable feeding mechanisms on the reef. It can extend its jaws forward to nearly half its body length, creating a tube to instantly slurp up small fish and crustaceans from a distance.

Picasso Triggerfish

Named for its abstract, paint-stroke-like patterns, this small but feisty triggerfish is highly territorial. It is a common sight in shallow reef flats, often seen blowing jets of water to uncover buried invertebrates in the sand.

Yellow Boxfish

A charming and peculiar fish with a box-shaped body formed by fused bony plates. Juveniles are bright yellow ‘cubes’ with dark spots. It moves by paddling with its small fins and can release a toxin when stressed.

Spotted Porcupinefish

A slow-moving, charismatic fish covered in long spines. When threatened, it can inflate its body with water, turning into a large, spiky, and inedible ball to deter predators. Its powerful jaws can crush hard-shelled prey.

Cobia

A large, powerful fish that often resembles a small shark. It is a curious species, known for following larger animals like sharks and rays. Highly valued for its firm, tasty flesh, it is a target for both sport and commercial fishing.

African Pompano

A stunningly beautiful jack, especially as a juvenile, with incredibly long, thread-like filaments trailing from its dorsal and anal fins. This silvery, deep-bodied fish is a powerful fighter and a prized catch for anglers.

Black-chinned Tilapia

A hardy and adaptable fish known for its unique method of mouthbrooding, where the male incubates the eggs in his mouth. It is an important species in the brackish and freshwater ecosystems of southern Somalia’s coastal river systems.

Indian Oil Sardine

A small, silvery fish that forms immense schools, representing one of the most important commercial fisheries in the Indian Ocean region. It is a vital food source and a key link in the marine food web.

Bigeye Scad

Named for its conspicuously large eyes, this schooling fish is a common and important species for local fisheries. It is used widely for both human consumption and as bait for catching larger fish like tuna.

Barred Flagtail

A sleek, silver fish with a distinctively barred tail fin. Remarkably adaptable, it is one of the few marine species that can be found in a wide range of habitats, from coral reefs and estuaries to the lower reaches of freshwater rivers.

Flutemouth

A bizarre, extremely long and thin fish with a tiny mouth at the end of its tubular snout. It often camouflages itself by swimming alongside larger, non-threatening fish to get close to its prey of small fish and shrimp.

Variegated Lizardfish

A master of camouflage, this ambush predator rests motionless on the sandy seafloor, blending in perfectly. It launches a lightning-fast upward strike to capture any small fish or crustacean that ventures too close.

Oriental Sweetlips

A bold and beautiful fish with striking horizontal black and white stripes, yellow lips, and spotted yellow fins. Juveniles look completely different, mimicking a toxic flatworm with their undulating swimming motion to avoid predation.

King Soldierbream

A deep-bodied, silvery-pink seabream with extremely long, filamentous spines on its dorsal fin, especially as a juvenile. It is a highly prized food fish, sought after by local fishermen for its excellent quality meat.

Mangrove Red Snapper

A highly versatile and powerful snapper that spends its juvenile life in brackish mangrove or freshwater habitats before migrating to offshore reefs as an adult. It is a prized catch for its size, strength, and culinary value.

Bluefin Trevally

A stunningly beautiful and powerful predator, instantly recognizable by its electric blue fins, tail, and body speckles. It is a relentless hunter of reef fish and a dream catch for sport anglers due to its speed and aggression.

Orangespotted Trevally

A vibrant and fast-moving jack, distinguished by its bright orange-yellow spots scattered across a silvery body. Often seen hunting in schools, they use teamwork to corner and prey upon smaller fish along the reef edge.

Talang Queenfish

The largest of the queenfish, this is a fast, sleek predator with a line of large, dark blotches along its side. It is a popular game fish known for its energetic fight and is an important species for coastal fisheries.

Goldstripe Sardinella

A small, schooling sardine identified by a thin golden stripe along its flank. It is a crucial species in the coastal food web and supports significant artisanal fisheries, providing food security for local communities.

Rainbow Sardine

A small, streamlined schooling fish with an iridescent body, often forming a significant part of the ‘sardine’ catch. It is an essential prey item for larger predators like tuna and an important resource for local fisheries.

Round Batfish

A curious-looking, disc-shaped fish. As a juvenile, it masterfully mimics a dead, floating leaf by turning brown and drifting on its side to avoid predators. Adults are more silvery and often form small schools around coastal structures.

Longfin Bannerfish

Often mistaken for the Moorish Idol, this elegant fish is known for its elongated, white dorsal fin filament that waves like a banner. They are often seen in pairs and are a graceful presence on Somalia’s coral reefs.

Bicolor Parrotfish

A large and magnificent parrotfish exhibiting dramatic sexual dimorphism. Males are a stunning mix of green, blue, and pink, while females are darker with a bright red patch. Juveniles are white with a single orange band over the head.

Broomtail Wrasse

A beautiful and ornate wrasse named for the jagged, broom-like edge of its tail fin. Males are particularly colorful with intricate patterns, making them a stunning sight for divers exploring the diverse reef habitats of Somalia.

Whitetip Reef Shark

A slender, medium-sized shark easily identified by the white tips on its dorsal and tail fins. It is a nocturnal hunter that specializes in wriggling into reef crevices to catch prey. During the day, it is often seen resting on the seafloor.

Napoleon Snake Eel

A strikingly colored eel with a pattern of yellow saddles and black spots. Unlike morays, it is a burrowing species that spends much of its time buried in the sand with only its head exposed, waiting to ambush passing prey.

Yellowmouth Moray

A large and formidable moray eel, easily identified by the brilliant yellow or orange color inside its mouth, which it displays as a warning. It is a secretive predator, hiding within the reef structure.

Orangespine Unicornfish

A popular and charismatic surgeonfish with two bright orange, scalpel-like spines at the base of its tail. It lacks the prominent ‘horn’ of other unicornfish but is easily recognized by its bold facial markings and colorful tail.

Lined Surgeonfish

A spectacularly colored but highly aggressive and territorial surgeonfish. Its body is adorned with electric blue and yellow stripes. It fiercely defends its patch of algae turf from other herbivores using its sharp tail spines.

Convict Surgeonfish

Named for its pale body and vertical black ‘prison’ stripes, this surgeonfish is often seen in vast schools that swarm the reef, grazing on algae. Their schooling behavior helps overwhelm the defenses of territorial fish.

Spotted Scat

A robust and hardy fish capable of living in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments. It is an omnivore known for feeding on algae and waste matter, playing a role as a scavenger in coastal ecosystems.

African Moony

A tall, diamond-shaped, and silvery fish that is a common inhabitant of brackoish water habitats like river mouths and mangrove forests. Juveniles have prominent vertical black bars and often school together for protection.

Deep-bodied Moony

A silvery, disc-shaped fish that forms large, shimmering schools in coastal waters, often moving into estuaries. Its highly compressed body and reflective scales make it a dazzling sight, especially in sunlit shallow waters.

Fourline Striped Grunt

Also known as a Blackspotted Sweetlips, adults are yellow with a dense covering of black spots. They are a common sight on the reef, often found hovering in stationary schools near or under coral ledges during the day.

Longnose Emperor

A large, slender emperor with a distinctly long snout. It is a formidable predator that often forms large, fast-moving schools that patrol sandy flats and reef edges, hunting for fish and crustaceans.

Indian Goatfish

This goatfish is easily identified by a large black spot on its side and a yellow blotch on its tail base. It uses two long, sensitive barbels under its chin to probe the sand for worms, crustaceans, and other invertebrates.

Pickhandle Barracuda

A large species of barracuda recognized by the numerous dark, chevron-like bars along its body that resemble pickaxe handles. It often forms large schools, which can be an impressive and intimidating sight for divers.

Bignose Unicornfish

A large and impressive reef fish that develops a prominent, bulbous snout as it matures. It is known for its ability to rapidly change its color from dark brown to a brilliant, iridescent blue when excited or during courtship displays.

Thornback Cowfish

A small, bizarre boxfish with a triangular body and prominent spines over its eyes and rear, giving it its name. Its ornate patterns provide excellent camouflage among the rubble and seagrass where it forages for small invertebrates.

Flathead Sillago

A common coastal fish also known as the Northern Whiting. It is an important food fish for local communities, caught in beach seines and other artisanal gear. It forages for worms and crustaceans in the sand.

Oman Cownose Ray

A large, active ray that is often seen swimming in schools near the surface. It uses its unique, bi-lobed snout to stir up the seabed and uncover buried clams and other mollusks, which it crushes with its plate-like teeth.

Needle-scaled Queenfish

A fast, predatory fish with a silvery, compressed body and a row of dark, vertically elongated blotches. It is an aggressive hunter of small fish and is often found in murky coastal waters and estuaries.

Starry Puffer

One of the largest pufferfish in the world, this impressive species is covered in black spots over a pale background. Like other puffers, it can inflate its body when threatened and is highly toxic if eaten.

Royal Angelfish

A shy but spectacularly beautiful angelfish with vertical stripes of yellow, blue, and white. It is a sought-after species for aquariums but is best appreciated in its natural habitat, cautiously moving among the corals.

Threadfin Butterflyfish

A common and widespread butterflyfish, identified by its white body with black chevron markings and a long, trailing filament from its soft dorsal fin. It is often seen in pairs, methodically picking at invertebrates on the reef.

Yellow-spotted Trevally

A large, powerful jack with a brassy sheen and scattered yellow spots, which become more numerous with age. This strong-swimming predator is a prized catch for anglers and spearfishers due to its strength and delicious flesh.

Longbarbel Goatfish

Distinguished from other goatfish by its exceptionally long chin barbels, which can reach back to its tail fin. It often associates with other fish like wrasses, which prey on the small organisms it disturbs while foraging in the sand.

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