The West African spadefish (Chaetodipterus lippei) is a species of marine ray-finned fish belonging to the family Ephippidae, the spadefishes.

This species is found over sandy and muddy bottoms at depths of 10 to 50 m (33 to 164 ft) in the eastern Atlantic Ocean from Senegal to Angola, including Cape Verde.

The West African spadefish reaches a maximum total length of 31 cm (12 in), although 20 cm (7.9 in) is more typical.

[2] This species was first formally described in 1895 by the Austrian ichthyologist Franz Steindachner with its type locality given as Freetown in Liberia.

[3] Its specific name honours a Dr Lippe who collected the type while on a voyage on the SM Helgoland.