''Sargocentron spiniferum'', common name sabre squirrelfish, giant squirrelfish and spiny squirrelfish, is a large

Indo-Pacific The Indo-Pacific is a vast biogeographic region of Earth. In a narrow sense, sometimes known as the Indo-West Pacific or Indo-Pacific Asia, it comprises the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the ...

species of squirrelfish belonging to the family Holocentridae.

Description

''Sargocentron spiniferum'' is the largest squirrelfish in its range and can reach up to in length and in weight (the Atlantic ''

Holocentrus adscensionis ''Holocentrus adscensionis'' is a squirrelfish of the family Holocentridae found in the Atlantic Ocean. Its range extends from North Carolina, USA to Brazil and throughout the Caribbean Sea in the Western Atlantic and from Gabon Gabon (; ...

'' can surpass the length, but it is slimmer). A more common length for ''S. spiniferum'' is . The body is oval and laterally compressed. The head has a pointed snout and large eyes, being largely

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

. The basic colour is bright red. It has silver scale margins, a spinous dorsal fin and a large deep red patch just behind the eyes. The lower jaw protrudes beyond the upper jaw. It bears a very long preopercle spine (near the gill-opening). The anal and ventral fins are yellowish. The caudal fin is clearly bifid.

Distribution

This species is widespread throughout the tropical

, from the Red Sea and Indian Ocean up to Hawaii,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

and southern

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

Habitat

This squirrelfish can be found in tropical waters on coral reefs, from shallow water to a depth of .

References

* Allen, Gerry. 1999. ''Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and south-east Asia.'' * Debelius, Helmut. 1993. ''Indian Ocean Tropical Fish Guide.''

External links

Australian Museum

Doris
* spiniferum Fish of Palau Fish described in 1775 Taxa named by Peter Forsskål {{Beryciformes-stub