Pogonoperca punctata, the spotted soapfish, bearded soapfish or leaflip grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, related to the groupers and classified within the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae.

[4] The juveniles have large white spots, which remain part of the patterns as adults but become increasingly obscured by smaller small white spots appearing in the grey coloured regions of the body as the fish matures.

This species attains a maximum recorded total length of 35 centimetres (14 in).

[1] It prefers large coral heads on slopes where there is a moderate current, adults are usually deeper than 20 metres (66 ft) while juveniles occur in shallower more sheltered waters such as lagoons and bays.

[2] They are nocturnal hunters feeding on benthic crustaceans and smaller fishes.