🐠 Six Lined Soapfish (Grammistes sexlineatus)
A Dark Brown Body With Up to Six White-to-Yellow Stripes • A Solitary Nocturnal Cave Hunter • A Showpiece for a Calm, Dedicated Tank
 
📋 The Six Lined Soapfish, also known as the Goldenstriped Soapfish or Skunkfish, has a distinctive dark brown body marked with up to six white-to-yellow horizontal lines. Juveniles start with spots that gradually form into lines as they grow, so the pattern builds with age.
It lives across a vast area of the Indo-Pacific, from East Africa and the Red Sea to the Pacific islands, north to southern Japan and south to New Zealand, on coastal rocky and coral reefs down to 40-50 metres. It's a solitary, nocturnal fish that spends the day tucked into ledges and caves and comes out at night to hunt. It isn't aggressive except toward tankmates small enough to swallow, and every Six Lined Soapfish we ship is feeding well, with live shrimp or small live fish a great first food.
It's not reef safe and is best in a dedicated, spacious, fish-only tank (we recommend at least 680L) with plenty of caves. Like all soapfish, it can release a skin toxin called grammistin when severely stressed or injured, which can affect other fish in the tank, including itself. That's why a calm tank, gentle handling, and never adding shipping water to your display matter, and why it suits experienced keepers. It reaches about 27cm.
 
💡 Highlights
🎨 Dark Brown With Up to Six Golden Stripes: Spots become lines as it grows
🌙 A Solitary Night Hunter: Hides in caves by day
🍽️ Live Food to Start: Glass shrimp or small live fish work well
🛡️ A Calm Tank Is Key: Gentle handling, and no shipping water in your display
🪸 Not Reef Safe: Eats smaller fish and crustaceans