Calloplesiops altivelis
It belongs to the family Plesiopidae. 1 It is a shy, nocturnal fish of Indo-Pacific reefs, up to 20 cm long, dark and densely spotted. 2 3 On the rear part of the dorsal fin it carries a false eye: when it feels threatened it pushes its head into a crevice and leaves the rear of its body outside, which looks like the head of a moray eel. 3 4
At a glance
Data from the scientific sources listed at the bottom.
Depth in the wild
3–45 m
Size
up to 20 cm
maximum total length according to FishBase; two other sources give 16 cm
Conservation
IUCN Red List: least concern (2019). Red List data taken from FishBase. 2 It does not appear in the CITES lists checked on Species+. 6
Where it lives
From the Red Sea and East Africa to Tonga and the Line Islands. 2 In Australia it is recorded at Northwest Cape, at One Tree Island, on the reefs of the Coral Sea and at Christmas Island. 3
How to recognise it
Tap a number on the photo: the key explains what to look for.
Life in the wild
What it eats
A nocturnal carnivore and ambush predator: it approaches its prey sideways, moving its pectoral fins, then lunges forward. It eats crustaceans and small fish. 5
Behaviour
Shy and solitary, it comes out mainly at night. 2 5 The false eye is located above the base of the last three rays of the dorsal fin. 3 In its defensive posture it imitates the moray Gymnothorax meleagris: the false eye recalls the moray's eye and the gap between the caudal and anal fins recalls its mouth. 4 5
In the aquarium
From the experience of the BallingMania community.
A fish belonging to the family Plesiopidae, origin: the Red Sea, the Seychelles, Mauritius, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, the Great Barrier Reef and the Marquesas Islands.
Fairly hardy, with a peaceful temperament; compatible with specimens of almost all other kinds, as long as they are peaceful and larger than it. Suited to large aquariums, perhaps in the company of other groupers of the same size. In the wild it lives at depths of 3 to 50 metres along outer reefs, in caves and on the shoals next to the reef. The body has a very distinctive colouring, with a dark base colour tending to black and a great many white spots all over the body. On the rear part of the dorsal fin there is a large eye that serves as a mimetic defence.
To keep it in a tank there are not many requirements regarding the chemical conditions of the water; it only needs to be well oxygenated and filtered. Being a fish with a huge appetite, it dirties the aquarium it is kept in considerably, so regular partial water changes are required.
Given its size, it must be kept in large tanks of over 500 litres, with crevices among the rocks where it can take refuge and hide, making only occasional appearances. Both in the wild and in the aquarium it is carnivorous: in fact it feeds on frozen food (Artemia, Chironomus, Mysis); if the fish is of a suitable size, pieces of fish, mussel or shrimp flesh can be given. Bear in mind when buying it that its diet includes shrimp and small fish. Suitable for beginners, but beware: it grows a lot, so it must have ideal space to develop.
Species sheet by Massimo Ramognino and photo by Salvatore Scroppo
Did you know?
Sources
- WoRMS Editorial Board (2026). Calloplesiops altivelis (Steindachner, 1903). World Register of Marine Species.
- Froese R., Pauly D. (eds.) (2026). Calloplesiops altivelis, Comet. FishBase.
- Bray D.J. (2026). Comet, Calloplesiops altivelis (Steindachner 1903). Fishes of Australia.
- Australian Museum (2021). Comet, Calloplesiops altivelis Steindachner, 1903. Australian Museum.
- Caulfield K. (2003). Calloplesiops altivelis, Comet. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.
- UNEP-WCMC (2026). Search for Calloplesiops altivelis in the CITES lists. Species+.
Sources checked on 5 November 2026. Community texts and ratings are kept separate from the scientific data.
