Holocentridae
Encyclopedia
The Holocentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, belonging to the order Beryciformes
with the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae typically known as squirrelfish, while the members of Myripristinae typically are known as soldierfish. In Hawaii
they are known as menpachi.
They are found in tropical parts of the Indian
, Pacific
and Atlantic Ocean
s, with the greatest species diversity
near reef
s in the Indo-Pacific
. Most are found at depths from the shoreline to 100 m (330 ft), but some, notably the members of the genus
Ostichthys, are generally found far deeper. Being largely or entirely nocturnal, they have relatively large eyes. During the day they typically remain hidden in crevices, caves, or under ledges. Red and silvery colours dominate. The preopercle spines (near the gill
-opening) of the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae are venomous, and can give painful wounds. Most have a maximum length of 15-35 cm (6-14 in), but Sargocentron iota barely reaches 8 cm (3 in), and S. spiniferum and Holocentrus adscensionis can reach more than 50 cm (20 in). The squirrelfishes mainly feed on small fishes and benthic invertebrates, while the soldierfishes typically feed on zooplankton
. The larvae are pelagic, unlike the adults, and can be found far out to sea.
:
Beryciformes
Beryciformes is an order of ray-finned fishes. This is a very poorly understood group of 16 families, 57 genera, and about 219 species. Some people believe that it is probably an artificial assemblage of unrelated taxa that are thrown together for convenience only; there are no convincing...
with the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae typically known as squirrelfish, while the members of Myripristinae typically are known as soldierfish. In Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
they are known as menpachi.
They are found in tropical parts of the Indian
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
, Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
s, with the greatest species diversity
Species diversity
Species diversity is an index that incorporates the number of species in an area and also their relative abundance. It is a more comprehensive value than species richness....
near reef
Reef
In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....
s in the Indo-Pacific
Indo-Pacific
The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...
. Most are found at depths from the shoreline to 100 m (330 ft), but some, notably the members of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Ostichthys, are generally found far deeper. Being largely or entirely nocturnal, they have relatively large eyes. During the day they typically remain hidden in crevices, caves, or under ledges. Red and silvery colours dominate. The preopercle spines (near the gill
Gill
A gill is a respiratory organ found in many aquatic organisms that extracts dissolved oxygen from water, afterward excreting carbon dioxide. The gills of some species such as hermit crabs have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are kept moist...
-opening) of the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae are venomous, and can give painful wounds. Most have a maximum length of 15-35 cm (6-14 in), but Sargocentron iota barely reaches 8 cm (3 in), and S. spiniferum and Holocentrus adscensionis can reach more than 50 cm (20 in). The squirrelfishes mainly feed on small fishes and benthic invertebrates, while the soldierfishes typically feed on zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
. The larvae are pelagic, unlike the adults, and can be found far out to sea.
Species
There are more than 80 species in eight generaGenera
Genera is a commercial operating system and development environment for Lisp machines developed by Symbolics. It is essentially a fork of an earlier operating system originating on the MIT AI Lab's Lisp machines which Symbolics had used in common with LMI and Texas Instruments...
:
- Subfamily Holocentrinae
- Genus Holocentrus Scopoli, 1777.
- Holocentrus adscensionis, Squirrelfish, (Osbeck, 1765).
- Holocentrus rufusLongspine squirrelfishThe longspine squirrelfish is silvery red, with orange-gold body stripes. One of about 150 species of squirrelfish, their most distinguishing characteristics are their large eyes and the long third spine of the anal fin. It is often included in public aquarium displays. The length of the longspine...
, Longspine squirrelfish, (Walbaum, 1792).
- Genus Neoniphon Castelnau, 1875.
- Neoniphon argenteus, Clearfin squirrelfish, (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831).
- Neoniphon aurolineatus, Yellowstriped squirrelfish, (Liénard, 1839).
- Neoniphon marianus, Longjaw squirrelfish, (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829).
- Neoniphon opercularis, Blackfin soldier, (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831).
- Neoniphon sammara, Sammara squirrelfish, (Forsskål, 1775).
- Genus SargocentronSargocentronSargocentron is a genus of squirrelfish containing approximately 35 species. They are found in tropical parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with the greatest species diversity near reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Being largely or entirely nocturnal, they have relatively large eyes. Red and...
Fowler, 1904.- Sargocentron bullisi, Deepwater squirrelfish, (Woods, 1955).
- Sargocentron caudimaculatum, Silverspot squirrelfish, (Rüppell, 1838).
- Sargocentron cornutum, Threespot squirrelfish, (Bleeker, 1853).
- Sargocentron coruscum, Reef squirrelfish, (Poey, 1860).
- Sargocentron diadema, Crown squirrelfish, (Lacepède, 1802).
- Sargocentron dorsomaculatum, Spotfin squirrelfish, (Shimizu and Yamakawa, 1979).
- Sargocentron ensifer, Yellow-striped squirrelfish, (Jordan and Evermann, 1903).
- Sargocentron furcatum (Günther, 1859).
- Sargocentron hastatum, Red squirrelfish, (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829).
- Sargocentron hormion Randall, 1998.
- Sargocentron inaequalis, Lattice squirrelfish, Randall and Heemstra, 1985.
- Sargocentron iota, Dwarf squirrelfish, Randall, 1998.
- Sargocentron ittodai, Samurai squirrelfish, (Jordan and Fowler, 1902).
- Sargocentron kuchifuki, Napkin squirrelfish, (Jordan and Fowler, 1902).
- Sargocentron lepros, Spiny squirrelfish, (Allen and Cross, 1983).
- Sargocentron macrosquamis, Bigscale squirrelfish, Golani, 1984.
- Sargocentron marisrubri Randall, Golani and Diamant, 1989.
- Sargocentron megalops Randall, 1998.
- Sargocentron melanospilos, Blackblotch squirrelfish, (Bleeker, 1858).
- Sargocentron microstoma, Smallmouth squirrelfish, (Günther, 1859).
- Sargocentron poco, Saddle squirrelfish, (Woods, 1965).
- Sargocentron praslin, Dark-striped squirrelfish, (Lacepède, 1802).
- Sargocentron punctatissimum, Speckled squirrelfish, (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829).
- Sargocentron rubrum, Redcoat, (Forsskål, 1775).
- Sargocentron seychellense, Yellow-tipped squirrelfish, (Smith and Smith, 1963).
- Sargocentron shimizui Randall, 1998.
- Sargocentron spiniferum, Sabre squirrelfish, (Forsskål, 1775).
- Sargocentron spinosissimum (Temminck ans Schlegel, 1843).
- Sargocentron suborbitalis, Tinsel squirrelfish, (Gill, 1863).
- Sargocentron tiereSargocentron tiereSargocentron tiere or the blue-lined squirrelfish is one species of Squirrelfish from the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 33cm in length.-Distribution:...
, Blue lined squirrelfish, (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829). - Sargocentron tiereoides, Pink squirrelfish, (Bleeker, 1853).
- Sargocentron vexillarium, Dusky squirrelfish, (Poey, 1860).
- Sargocentron violaceum, Violet squirrelfish, (Bleeker, 1853).
- Sargocentron wilhelmi (de Buen, 1963).
- Sargocentron xantherythrumSargocentron xantherythrumSargocentron xantherythrum is a member of the Squirrelfish family that is endemic to the Hawaiian islands. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a length of ....
, Hawaiian squirrelfish, (Jordan and Evermann, 1903).
- Genus Holocentrus Scopoli, 1777.
- Subfamily Myripristinae
- Genus Corniger Agassiz in Spix and Agassiz, 1831.
- Corniger spinosus, Spinycheek soldierfish, Agassiz in Spix and Agassiz, 1831.
- Genus Myripristis Cuvier, 1829.
- Myripristis adusta, Shadowfin soldierfish, Bleeker, 1853.
- Myripristis amaena, Brick soldierfish, (Castelnau, 1873).
- Myripristis astakhovi Kotlyar, 1997.
- Myripristis aulacodes Randall and Greenfield, 1996.
- Myripristis berndti, Blotcheye soldierfish, Jordan and Evermann, 1903.
- Myripristis botche, Blacktip soldierfish, Curvier, 1829.
- Myripristis chryseres, Yellowfin soldierfish, Jordan and Evermann, 1903.
- Myripristis clarionensis, Yellow soldierfish, Gilbert, 1897.
- Myripristis earlei, Earle's soldierfish, Randall, Allen & Robertson, 2003.
- Myripristis formosa Randall and Greenfield, 1996.
- Myripristis gildi, Clipperton cardinal soldierfish, Greenfield, 1965.
- Myripristis greenfieldi Randall and Yamakawa, 1996.
- Myripristis hexagona, Doubletooth soldierfish, (Lacepède, 1802).
- Myripristis jacobusMyripristis jacobusMyripristis jacobus is a Soldierfish from the Western Atlantic. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 25cm in length....
, Blackbar soldierfish, Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829. - Myripristis kochiensis Randall and Yamakawa, 1996.
- Myripristis kuntee, Shoulderbar soldierfish, Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831.
- Myripristis leiognathus, Panamic soldierfish, Valenciennes, 1846.
- Myripristis murdjan, Pinecone soldierfish, (Forsskål, 1775).
- Myripristis pralinia, Scarlet soldierfish, Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829.
- Myripristis randalli Greenfield, 1974.
- Myripristis robusta Randall and Greenfield, 1996.
- Myripristis seychellensis, Seychelles soldier, Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829.
- Myripristis tiki Greenfield, 1974.
- Myripristis trachyacron Bleeker, 1863.
- Myripristis violacea, Lattice soldierfish, Bleeker, 1851.
- Myripristis vittataMyripristis vittataMyripristis vittata is a Soldierfish from the Indo-Pacific. It occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade. It grows to a size of 25cm in length....
, Whitetip soldierfish, Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831. - Myripristis woodsi, Whitespot soldierfish, Greenfield, 1974.
- Myripristis xanthacra, Yellowtip soldierfish, Randall and Guézé, 1981.
- Genus Ostichthys Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829.
- Ostichthys acanthorhinus Randall, Shimizu and Yamakawa, 1982.
- Ostichthys archiepiscopus, Longsnout soldier, (Valenciennes, 1862).
- Ostichthys brachygnathus Randall and Myers, 1993.
- Ostichthys delta Randall, Shimizu and Yamakawa, 1982.
- Ostichthys hypsipterygion Randall, Shimizu and Yamakawa, 1982.
- Ostichthys japonicus, Brocade perch, (Cuvier in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1829).
- Ostichthys kaianus, Deepwater soldier, (Günther, 1880).
- Ostichthys ovaloculus Randall and Wrobel, 1988.
- Ostichthys sandix Randall, Shimizu and Yamakawa, 1982.
- Ostichthys sheni Chen, Shao and Mok, 1990.
- Ostichthys trachypoma, Bigeye soldierfish, (Günther, 1859).
- Genus PlectrypopsPlectrypopsPlectrypops is a genus of soldierfish containing two extant species, with one species in the Indo-Pacific, and another in the western Atlantic and the Caribbean. They are red and reach a length of approximately 15 cm...
Gill, 1862.- Plectrypops lima, Shy soldier, (Valenciennes in Cuvier and Valenciennes, 1831).
- Plectrypops retrospinis, Cardinal soldierfish, (Guichenot, 1853).
- Genus Pristilepis Randall, Shimizu and Yamakawa, 1982.
- Pristilepis oligolepis, Spinyface soldier, (Whitley, 1941).
- Genus Corniger Agassiz in Spix and Agassiz, 1831.