Parapercis millepunctata
Spot this speckled little sandperch perched on rubble in the Maldives' Central Atolls or Tahiti's Society Islands, year-round in warm reef water.
A slender, torpedo-shaped fish around 12 cm long, usually seen propped up on its pelvic fins over sand or rubble rather than swimming freely. The body is pale to sandy-coloured and covered edge to edge in small dark dots, giving it a peppered look rather than the bold bands or blotches some relatives show. Look for the perched, alert posture close to the substrate as the giveaway at a glance.
Spends most of a dive perched motionless on sand, rubble or low reef structure, propped up on its front fins while scanning for small prey. It is not shy but keeps a modest distance, darting a short hop away rather than fleeing if a diver gets too close. Most sightings are on the reef base or in sandy patches between coral heads rather than up in the water column.
Like other sandperches it is a sit-and-wait hunter, using short bursts off the substrate to snatch small invertebrates and tiny fish rather than chasing prey over distance.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the data, and with a comfortable range of roughly 25 to 29C it stays active on tropical reefs all year, so any month works for a dive trip.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Most reliably logged in the Maldives, especially the Central Atolls, and a strong presence through French Polynesia's Society Islands. It also turns up around Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, at Khao Lak in Thailand, and on reefs in Bali and Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia.
Mapping where Black-dotted Sandperch is logged…
The Maldives' Central Atolls are the most consistent spot, with strong numbers also logged around French Polynesia's Society Islands and Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. It also shows up in Thailand's Khao Lak region and on reefs in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
There is no strong seasonal signal in sightings, and it favours warm water around 25 to 29C year-round, so it is a fair bet on any tropical reef dive regardless of month.
Look for a small, slim fish around 12 cm long perched on sand or rubble rather than swimming in open water, with a pale body covered in fine dark spots. The perched posture on its pelvic fins is as useful an ID cue as the spotting pattern itself.
They reach around 12 cm, making them one of the smaller reef fish you will notice resting on sand or rubble patches.
No, they pose no threat to divers and simply hop away a short distance if approached too closely.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Spotted Sandperch
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