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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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Kewalo Pipe, Oahu, 60 feet
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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
Back Wall, Molokini, 60 feet |
Fish Hole, Midway, 40 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
Hanauma Bay, Oahu, 25 feet |
Fish Hole, Midway, 30 feet |
100 ft. Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 85 feet |
100 ft. Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 85 feet |
100 ft. Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 85 feet |
100 ft. Hole, Waikiki, Oahu, 85 feet |
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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
Phoenix, Midway, 40 feet
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Phoenix, Midway, 50 feet |
Phoenix, Midway, 50 feet |
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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 |
Chromis, Midway, 50 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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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 |
Chromis, Midway, 70 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 adusta
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. |
RED 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
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. |
STRIPED SQUIRRELFISHES
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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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 |
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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Kaka'ako, Oahu, 50 feet |
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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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
Sargocentron caudimaculatum
TROPICAL EASTERN PACIFIC
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. |
Family Monocentridae
Pineconefishes
JAPAN
Monocentrus
japonica
Toba Aquarium, Japan |
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JAPANESE PINECONEFISH
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