Diploprion drachi
A small yellow-faced reef fish logged across Marsa Alam and South Sinai year-round in 25-29C water, usually spotted alone near coral.
A small, chunky-bodied fish reaching about 10cm, with a pale yellow to cream face that fades into a grey-brown or olive body. The rounded fins and slightly humped back give it a stocky, almost sluggish profile compared to typical reef fish. Look for it tucked near coral heads or ledges rather than swimming in open water.
Divers typically find it holding still near coral structure or tucked into a crevice rather than cruising the reef face. It doesn't seem to spook easily and tends to sit tight when approached, which makes for a good close look if you spot one. Most sightings are of single fish rather than pairs or groups.
Soapfish in this family get their name from a bitter, toxic mucus they can secrete when stressed, a defence that makes them unappealing to would-be predators rather than divers.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the data, and it's comfortable across a 25.2 to 29.3C range, so it's a year-round possibility on Egyptian Red Sea reefs. Plan around good general Red Sea diving conditions rather than a specific month.
Every logged sighting in the data comes from Egypt, making it a Red Sea specialty rather than a species you'd plan a trip elsewhere for. Marsa Alam & the Deep South leads the tally, with South Sinai and the Red Sea Riviera also producing regular sightings, though it stays an uncommon find at nearly all of these sites.
Mapping where Yellowface Soapfish is logged…
All confirmed sightings come from Egypt, with Marsa Alam & the Deep South the strongest area, followed by South Sinai and the Red Sea Riviera. It's an uncommon find even there, so treat it as a bonus spot rather than a guaranteed sighting.
There's no detected season, and it sits comfortably in 25.2 to 29.3C water, so sightings are possible year-round on Red Sea reefs. Diving during typical Red Sea conditions is more important than picking a specific month.
Look for a small, stocky fish around 10cm with a pale yellow face fading to an olive or brown body. It sits low and still near coral rather than swimming actively, which helps separate it from more mobile reef fish.
They stay small, typically reaching around 10cm in length, so you're looking for a compact fish tucked against the reef rather than anything large or conspicuous.
No, they're not considered dangerous to divers. Their defence is a toxic skin secretion aimed at predators, not a threat to people, and they're not known to react aggressively when approached.
Like other soapfish, it can release a bitter, toxic mucus from its skin when threatened, a chemical defence that discourages predators from taking a bite.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Soldierfish
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