Read Next
squirrelfish
Blackbar Soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus).
squirrelfish
fish
Also known as: Sargocentron, soldierfish
- Also called:
- soldierfish
- Related Topics:
- Holocentrus spinifer
- Holocentridae
squirrelfish, any of about 70 species of large-eyed, colourful, tropical reef fish of the family Holocentridae (order Beryciformes). Squirrelfish are edible fish found throughout the tropics. They have spiny fins and rough, prickly scales; some also have a sharp spine on each cheek. Most squirrelfish are red in colour, and many are marked with yellow, white, or black. The largest species is probably Holocentrus spinifer, a Pacific squirrelfish growing about 60 cm (24 inches) long. Squirrelfish are carnivorous and nocturnal, hiding by day among the reefs.