Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Atlantic spadefish

Chaetodipterus faber · Also called: spadefish, Paguala, palaguala

Facts

  • Disk-shaped, silvery body with 4 to 6 black vertical bands that can fade in big fish. Juveniles are dark and look like dead leaves.[1]
  • Schools of up to hundreds, often around wrecks, from about 10 to 115 feet.[1]

Where it's been reported (3)

From the sources on each dive site's page. Sightings are never guaranteed.

  • Bajo Amarillo · Culebra“creole wrasse / Bermuda chub / Atlantic spadefish schools (sometimes)” (Culebra Divers via SSI Scubago / MyDiveGuide)
  • Cayo del Agua · Culebra“Atlantic spadefish schools” (Culebra Divers via SSI Scubago / MyDiveGuide)
  • Black Wall · Guánica & La Parguera“bar jacks, schooling Atlantic spadefish, great barracuda, Caribbean reef sharks, flamingo tongue snails” (Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center)

Sources

  1. Atlantic Spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) species profile · Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida (accessed 2026-10-22)

Last checked 2026-10-22