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Family Holocentridae
Squirrelfishes &
Soldierfishes
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Holocentrids are nocturnal fishes that are
normally seen hiding in caverns and under large coral heads by day. They emerge at
night to feed upon large zooplankton and small fishes. They have large scales
(unlike Bigeyes) and sharp venomous fin and head spines. Soldierfishes and the Saber
Squirrelfish are popular food fishes with rich oily flesh. Soldierfishes are known
as Menpachi/Mempachi in Hawaii.
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Hawaii's common Myripristis, L to R:
M. berndti, M. kuntee, M. amaena |
Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 60 feet
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Genus Myripristis - Soldierfishes
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Soldierfishes are deep-bodied with large eyes and scales.
Species can be difficult to separate for the untrained
observer.
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HAWAII
Myripristis amaena
Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 40 feet
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100 foot Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 80 feet
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Molokini Back Wall, 60 feet
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BRICK or REDFIN SOLDIERFISH
'U'U
Matsukasa
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Large scales; average length is 8 inches.
Soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins entirely red;
lacks any white margin except pelvic fins.
Hawaii, Okinawa, Micronesia, Tuamotus, Society Islands, and Pitcairn. |
Myripristis berndti
BIGSCALE SOLDIERFISH
'U'U
Aka-matsukasa
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Large scales; attains 11 inches.
Soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins edged with
white. Spinous dorsal fin orange.
Hawaii, Indo-Pacific, tropical Eastern Pacific. |
Myripristis murdjan
NEW HAWAII RECORD
BLOTCHEYE SOLDIERFISH
'U'U
Matsukasa
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Spinous dorsal fin pale, bright red
distally; eye lacks vertical bar, head rounded. Attains 8 inches.
New Hawaiian
record--discovered at Midway & Kure Atolls, 1999-2000. Uncommon in deep caves with other Myripristis.
Red Sea to Hawaii, Japan, east to Samoa. |
Myripristis chryseres
Bulky Dump, Midway, 40 feet
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Chromis, Midway, 50 feet |
Molokini Back Wall, 100 feet |
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YELLOWFIN SOLDIERFISH
PA'U'U
Kibire-matsukasa
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Bright red body with yellow fins.
Attains 10 inches; rare in deep water except at Midway. Hawaii
& the Indo-Pacific. |
Myripristis kuntee
Makapu'u, Oahu, 25 feet
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Fish Hole, Midway, 40 feet |
100 ft. Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 85 feet
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Honokohau, Hawaii, 60 feet |
Puako, Hawaii, 40 feet
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Sea Cave, Oahu, 50 feet |
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EPAULET SOLDIERFISH
'U'U
Kuro-obi-matsukasa
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Small scales and rounded profile.
Attains 7 inches.
Soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins edged with
white, base clear. Silvery background and broad brown opercular
bar. Hawaii, Western Indian Ocean islands to the Marquesas. |
Myripristis vittata
Chromis, Midway, 70 feet
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Wakatobi, Indonesia, 50 feet |
Molokini Back Wall, 100 feet |
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WHITETIP SOLDIERFISH
'U'U
Beni-matsukasa
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Spinous dorsal fin red tipped with white, other fins red
with white margin. Small scales and a rounded profile; bright red body.
Attains 7 inches. Very rare in Hawaii. Hawaii, Western Indian Ocean
islands, to French Polynesia. |
INDO-PACIFIC
Myripristis violacea
Wakatobi, Indonesia, 40 feet |
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LATTICE SOLDIERFISH
| Inhabits shallow reefs. Purplish brown dorsally with dark scale
edges. Fins clear to red at the tip with white leading
edges. Myripristis adusta has fins with dark tips without
white edges. Attains 9 inches. Indo-Pacific except Hawaii. |
TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC
Myripristis leiognanthus
Cabo Pulmo, Baja California, Mexico, 60 feet |
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PANAMIC SOLDIERFISH Soldado
| Uncommon in dark holes and caverns from Baja California to
Ecuador. About 7 inches. |
Squirrelfishes
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Most squirrelfishes have a tapering body and protruding lower
jaw. Except for a few large species they are too small to be worth
eating. There are several spines on the gill cover that can
inflict painful wounds.
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HAWAII
Pristilepis oligolepis
Phoenix, Midway, 75 feet |
Pitt Stop, Midway, 50 feet |
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WHITESCALE SQUIRRELFISH
Yase-ebisu
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Red body and fins; white scales arranged laterally. Attains 12 inches.
Very rare in deep water except at Midway. Hawaii, Japan, Easter Island,
Lord Howe Island, Western Australia, Reunion.
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Plectrypops lima
Pitt Stop, Midway, 40 feet
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Kaunolu Point, Lana'i, 25 feet |
Kaunolu Point, Lana'i, 25 feet
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PRICKLY SQUIRRELFISH
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Found in deep dark holes, emerges at night to
feed. Difficult to photograph. Eyes set far forward to allow binocular vision.
Up to 10 inches. Hawaii, Indo-Pacific, Tropical Eastern Pacific
islands.
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Sargocentron spiniferum
Molokini back wall, 50 feet
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Phoenix, Midway Atoll, 45 feet |
Tafananai, American Samoa, 50 feet
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SABER SQUIRRELFISH
ALA'IHI MAMA
Togari-ebisu
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Large preopercular spine
and mouth. Soft rays orange or yellow; spiny dorsal
vermilion. Snout profile slightly concave; attains 18
inches. An uncommon solitary species in Hawaii. Hawaii &
the Indo-Pacific. |
Sargocentron tiere
Honaunau, Hawaii, 30 feet |
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TAHITIAN SQUIRRELFISH
ALA'IHI
Aosuji-ebisu
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All fins reddish; spiny dorsal tipped with
white. Iridescent blue stripes on belly. Snout profile slightly convex; attains
13 inches. More common around Maui
and Hawaii. Western Indian Ocean islands to Hawaii and Pitcairn. |
INDO-PACIFIC
Ostichthys kaianus
Toba Aquarium, Japan |
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DEEPWATER SOLDIERFISH
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Red body with clear fins; white scales arranged laterally. Attains 15 inches.
Inhabits caves at depths exceeding 1000 feet. Indian Ocean islands
to Japan & New Guinea.
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Striped Squirrelfishes
HAWAII
Neoniphon aurolineatus
Lahilahi Point, Oahu, 80 feet |
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GOLDLINED SQUIRRELFISH
ALA'IHI
Ittodai
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Pink
with golden stripes; pointed snout. Spiny dorsal fin red; attains 12
inches. Rare in less than 100 feet. Spotty distribution from
the Western Indian Ocean to Japan, Hawaii, and the Marquesas Islands.
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Neoniphon sammara
Kona Village, Hawaii, 35 feet
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Fish Hole, Midway Atoll, 45 feet |
Honaunau, Hawaii, 50 feet
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Honaunau, Hawaii, 50 feet
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SPOTFIN SQUIRRELFISH
ALA'IHI
Ukeguchi-ittodai
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Silver with brown
stripes; pointed snout. Dark spot on spiny dorsal fin; attains 12
inches. Soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins yellow &
brown. Hawaii & the Indo-Pacific. |
Sargocentron punctatissimum
Tug Pier, Midway, 10 feet
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Sharks Cove, Oahu, 20 feet |
Night, Makai Pier, Oahu, 15 feet
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Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 4 feet |
Makapu'u tidepool, Oahu |
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PEPPERED SQUIRRELFISH
ALA'IHI
Ittoudai
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Spiny dorsal fin red-white-black.
Silvery pink with scattered brown dots. Very common on shallow
reefs and tidepools. Attains 5 inches. Hawaii & the
Indo-Pacific. |
Sargocentron diadema
Kaka'ako, Oahu, 50 feet
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Night, Pokai Bay, Oahu, 15 feet |
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CROWN or DIADEM SQUIRRELFISH
ALA'IHI
Niji-ebisu
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Spiny dorsal fin black-white-black.
Robust body is ruby red with bluish white stripes. Common on
shallow reefs. Attains 7 inches. Hawaii & the
Indo-Pacific. |
Sargocentron xantherythrum
Keahole, Hawaii, 50 feet
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Pitt Stop, Midway, 40 feet |
Corsair, Midway, 105 feet
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100 ft. Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 75 feet |
Baby Barge, Oahu, 75 feet
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Chromis, Midway Atoll, 65 feet |
Lahilahi Cavern, Oahu, 70 feet
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100 ft. Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 75 feet |
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HAWAIIAN SQUIRRELFISH
ALA'IHI
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Spiny dorsal fin red, tipped with white.
Bright red with white stripes. Forms aggregations in dark holes
in deeper water. Attains 6 inches. Endemic to Hawaii. |
INDO-PACIFIC
Neoniphon argenteus
Wakatobi, Indonesia |
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CLEARFIN SQUIRRELFISH
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Inhabits quiet lagoons with branching coral.
Similar to Neoniphon sammara but lacks dark spot on spiny dorsal
fin. Attains 12 inches. Indo-Pacific except Hawaii. |
Neoniphon opercularis
Coconut Point, Tutuila, American Samoa |
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BLACKFIN SQUIRRELFISH
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Large species with large black area in spiny dorsal
fin. Attains 14 inches. Indo-Pacific except Hawaii. |
TROPICAL WESTERN ATLANTIC
Holocentrus rufus
Grand Bahama Island, 40 feet |
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CARIBBEAN SQUIRRELFISH
| Common on coral reefs from Bermuda
through the Caribbean. Reaches 12 inches. |
Neoniphon marianus
Pygmy Caves, Grand Bahama, 60 feet |
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LONGSPINE SQUIRRELFISH
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Common deeper than 100 feet. Attains 7
inches. West Indies. |
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