Description Holocentridae
all 3 tropical Oceans body ovale to moderately elongate, compressed very large eyes, saillants mouth terminal or with lower jaw projecting, upper jaw protractile ridges and mucous channels dorsally on head spiny-edged operculum forked caudal fin with slender peduncle large and very rough ctenoid scales lateral line complete & grande vessie natatoire usually red or pink live in relatively shallow water nocturnal, hiding by day under holes, caves... well known for sound production preopercular spine of some species of the Indo-Pacific region is venomous (not really dangerous for humans) spawning in open water, larvae planktonic, nonguarders
Identification keys to Holocentridae

Description Holocentridae

all 3 tropical Oceans
body ovale to moderately elongate, compressed
very large eyes, saillants
mouth terminal or with lower jaw projecting, upper jaw protractile
ridges and mucous channels dorsally on head
spiny-edged operculum
forked caudal fin with slender peduncle
large and very rough ctenoid scales
lateral line complete & grande vessie natatoire
usually red or pink
live in relatively shallow water
nocturnal, hiding by day under holes, caves...
well known for sound production
preopercular spine of some species of the Indo-Pacific region is venomous (not really dangerous for humans)
spawning in open water, larvae planktonic, nonguarders

Identification keys to Holocentridae

Etymologies		Source
Beryciforme	Greek, beryx or berys = a name of a fish + forma (look, aspect)	fishbase



Holocentrus rufus
fishbase / doris / souslesmers / en.wiki / nomadica	Synonymes Longspine squirrelfish	Walbaum, 1792 / LC / ITIS 166173

2016 Playa (Yucatan) ©mda (via INaturalist)	2016 Cozumel (Yucatan) ©mda (via GooglePhotos)	2016 Playa (Yucatan) ©mda (via INaturalist)


2016 Playa (Yucatan) ©mda (via GooglePhotos)


2006 by Quintín Muñoz (via Wikimedia Commons)	1997 Bahamas ©Randall, John E. (via fishbase)	2011 Cuba ©Patrick HUGON (via fishbase)


2016 Martiniq ©Jean Claude Jamoulle (via fishbase)	2014 Virgin Islands NOAA (via Wikimedia Commons)	2010 Haiti by Nick Hobgood (via Wikimedia Commons)
Western Atlantic	Cardinal queue fine	tropical
body bright red or red striped (aux reflets blancs), sometimes blotched ; white spot behind tip of each dorsal spine; toutes ses nageoires sont jaunes sauf sa première dorsale qui est bleuâtre avec des flammes blanches aux extrémités des épines
<32m / 25-35cm	ovipare, openwater	nocturne, en groupe, near mouths of caves and holes
Holocentrus rufus



Myripristis

Myripristis berndti 2016 Great Barrier (Au) by Ian Shaw (via fishbase)	Myripristis botche 2014 Komodo ©mda (via INaturalist)	Myripristis kuntee N-Sulawesi by Jim Greenfield (via fishbase)


Myripristis murdjan 2012 Nakari (Egypt) ©mda (via INaturalist)	Myripristis vittata 2019 Maldives ©mda (via INaturalist)
Myripristis



Neoniphon

Neoniphon sammara 2015 Maldives ©mda (via INaturalist)	Neoniphon argenteus 2017 Soudan ©mda (via INaturalist)
Neoniphon



Sargocentron

Sargocentron spiniferum 2011 Hurghada (Egypt) ©mda (via INaturalist)	Sargocentron caudimaculatum 2011 Raja Ampat ©mda (via INaturalist)


Sargocentron diadema 2011 Hurghada (Egypt) ©mda (via INaturalist)		Sargocentron rubrum 2016 Oman ©mda (via INaturalist)
Sargocentron

MàJ 13/03/2023