The longspine squirrelfish (''Holocentrus rufus'') is a silvery red, sea fish with orange-gold body stripes. One of about 150 species of
squirrelfish
Holocentrinae is a subfamily of Holocentridae containing 40 recognized species and one proposed species. Its members are typically known as squirrelfish and all are nocturnal. All three genera in the subfamily are found in the Atlantic and ''Hol ...
, 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 squirrelfish is about 18 cm (7.8 inches). It lives in coral reefs in tropical and warm temperate seas and eats
zoobenthos
Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.[moray eel
Moray eels, or Muraenidae (), are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are f ...](_bl ...<br></span></div>. It is territorial and uses sounds called )
. The longspine squirrelfish is edible and harvested on a small scale.
Identification
The body of the longspine squirrelfish is silvery red, with orange-gold body stripes. Its eyes are very large, which is characteristic of all squirrelfish. The rear dorsal fin is pronounced and sticks up. The anal fin has a strongly elongated third spine, from which this squirrelfish gets its name.
There are about 150 species of
squirrelfish
Holocentrinae is a subfamily of Holocentridae containing 40 recognized species and one proposed species. Its members are typically known as squirrelfish and all are nocturnal. All three genera in the subfamily are found in the Atlantic and ''Hol ...
. Squirrelfish, belonging to the order of Beryciformes, are brightly colored, medium-sized fish that are active during the night. Squirrelfish live in rocky or coral reefs in tropical and warm-temperate seas. Their most distinguishing characteristics are their large eyes. To identify the longspine squirrelfish, in addition to recognizing the long third spine of the anal fin, it can be useful to pay attention to the specific anatomy of other fins:
Distribution
Longspine squirrelfish are marine fish that live in coral reefs. The length of the longspine squirrelfish is up to 18 cm (7.8 inches). They are found along the south eastern coast of the United States to Northern South America and Brazil, as well as in-between locations such as Bermuda and the West Indies. They hide in or near dark recesses. They are territorial and defend their crevices with visual and acoustic displays. They are rare on shallow reefs. They are more abundant with increasing depth and are most abundant between thirty and seventy meters.
The juveniles are thin, silvery
pelagics and seldom seen.
Food
Most of the food longspine squirrelfish eat is
zoobenthos
Benthos (), also known as benthon, is the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom of a sea, river, lake, or stream, also known as the benthic zone.[moray eel
Moray eels, or Muraenidae (), are a family of eels whose members are found worldwide. There are approximately 200 species in 15 genera which are almost exclusively marine, but several species are regularly seen in brackish water, and a few are f ...](_bl ...<br></span></div>, including crustaceans, mollusks, and gastropods. It tends to guard its territory during the day and feed more actively at night.
<h1><br><p> Sounds</h1></p>
Vocalization has been described in 30 families of fishes. Aggressive sounds tend to be middle-frequency (about one kHz). Distressed sounds can be a bit higher frequency (about 6 kHz). Longspine squirrelfish make two kinds of sounds, a single )
. This behavior is called "mobbing." Researchers have observed that the longspine squirrelfish makes sounds more frequently at dusk.
Importance to humans
Squirrelfish in general are of low commercial importance, but they are frequently taken on a small scale off of Brazil and Venezuela with traps, handlines, and gillnets. They show resilience through the ability to survive for days within traps and to survive in highly polluted waters. They are sometimes marketed fresh. They are commonly displayed in public aquarium facilities due to their beautiful red coloration and distinctively large eyes.
In a 1980 study, longspine squirrelfish were determined to be quite edible among 16 different species of finfish obtainable off of the South Carolina coast of the United States.
[Chapman S , Hale M , Ng L. A preliminary study of the edibility characteristics of southeastern finfish. Texas A&M university, 198]
read online
A taste panel of thirteen individuals gave it high marks for firmness, average marks for flavor, and lower marks for flakiness compared with other species sampled. It was judged to be most similar to the
short bigeye and the (much larger)
red drum
The red drum (''Sciaenops ocellatus''), also known as redfish, channel bass, puppy drum, spottail bass, or simply red, is a game fish found in the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Florida and in the Gulf of Mexico from Florida to northern Mexi ...
.
References
External links
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{{Taxonbar, from=Q1771836
Holocentridae
Fish described in 1792
Fish of the Atlantic Ocean