What fish are found in the Maldives?

The Maldives has more than a thousand fish species. We checked the counts, the families most visitors ask about, and one fish with a protected history, and we left out invented lists.

How many fish

• IUCN lists over 1,100 species of fish in the Maldives. An FAO profile gives over 1,000, a 1993 checklist of shore and open-water fishes gave 899, and Wikipedia says over 2,000.
• The numbers differ because checklists count different habitats and years, so use them as a rough scale and not as a fixed figure.
• For corals, IUCN lists over 250 recorded species. Animals of the Maldives

Fish most visitors ask about

• Clownfish, also called anemonefish: the Maldive anemonefish, Amphiprion nigripes, is the clownfish of these reefs. One source calls it endemic to the Maldives, while others give a wider range that includes India and Sri Lanka.
• Parrotfish, angelfish and moray eels are common reef families. Wildlife references name moray eels, the spotted eagle ray and the blacktip reef shark among notable fish.
• The whale shark and the giant oceanic manta ray are also listed as notable fish. We do not give a season or a place to see them. Sharks of the Maldives
• The Napoleon wrasse, also called the humphead wrasse, is listed as Endangered by IUCN. The Maldives banned its export in 1995, and a 2022 study in Laamu Atoll found densities consistent with unexploited areas. Do not touch or feed it.

Seeing fish on your trip

• On a snorkelling trip you will see reef fish of many families. We do not promise a particular species on any day.
• Do not feed or touch fish and corals, and use water-resistant sunscreen.
• Warm water helps: see Water temperature.

Reviewed by the Relax Residence team in October 2026.