Family HOLOCENTRIDAE

Museums

Regional Maps

External Links

Introduction

The family Holocentridae is circumtropical in distribution and contains 84 species in eight genera (Eschmeyer & Fong 2014) in two subfamilies: Myripristinae (soldierfishes) and Holocentrinae (squirrelfishes); members of the genera Holocentrus and Corniger are restricted to the Atlantic. In Australian waters, 34 species in six genera have been recorded. However, Dornburg et al. (2012) have proposed a different classification based on molecular studies. They regarded Neoniphon and Sargocentron as paraphyletic and recognised Holocentrus, Corniger, Myripristis, Flammeo, Ostichthys. Plectropops, Neoniphon and Sargocentron, with some of the species of Sargocentron, as recognised here transferred to Neoniphon.

Holocentrids are conspicuous nocturnally active coral reel inhabitants, sheltering in caves and under ledges during the day. They are usually reddish in colour with robust dorsal-fin spines, a relatively large eye, and spines on the gill cover. They feed primarily on crustaceans and small fishes. The maximum standard length attained is about 60 cm TL, with most species attaining 15–25 cm.

Recent reviews of major genera include those of Myripristis by Greenfield (1974), Randall & Guézé (1981) and Randall & Greenfield (1996), Ostichthys and Pristilepsis by Randall et al. (1982), Sargocentron (formerly Adioryx) by Randall (1998) and Neoniphon (formerly Flammeo) by Shimizu & Yamakawa (1979). Many Australian species are also treated in Randall et al. (1997), Randall & Greenfield (1999), Allen (2009) and Allen & Erdmann (2012).

 

General References

Allen, G.R. 2009. Field Guide to Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-East Asia. Welshpool : Western Australian Museum Edn. 4, pp. 287.

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp. [167-179]

Dornburg, A., Moore, J.A., Webster, R., Warren, D.L., Brandley, M.C., Iglesias, T.L., Wainwright, P.C. & Near, T.J. 2012. Molecular phylogenetics of squirrelfishes and soldierfishes (Teleostei: Beryciformes: Holocentridae): reconciling more than 100 years of taxonomic confusion. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 65: 727–738

Eschmeyer, W.N. & Fong, J.D. 2014. Species of Fishes by family/subfamily. Catalog of Fishes. Online version updated 19 May 2014. http://research.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/SpeciesByFamily.asp

Greenfield, D.W. 1968. The zoogeography of Myripristis (Pisces: Holocentridae). Systematic Zoology 17: 76–87

Greenfield, D.W. 1974. A revision of the squirrelfish genus Myripristis Cuvier (Pisces : Holocentridae). Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Science Bulletin 19: 1-54 figs 1-26

Kotlyar, A.N. 1998. Species composition and distribution of holocentrids in the oceans of the world (Holocentridae, Beryciformes). Journal of Ichthyology 38(2): 199-217

Randall, J.E. 1998. Revision of the Indo-Pacific squirrelfishes (Beryciformes: Holocentridae: Holocentrinae) of the genus Sargocentron, with descriptions of four new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes 27: 1-105 pls 1-11

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.

Randall, J.E., Shimizu, T. & Yamakawa, T. 1982. A revision of the holocentrid fish genus Ostichthys, with descriptions of four new species and a related new genus. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 29(1): 1-26 figs 1-15 pls 1-2

Randall, J.E. & Greenfield, D.W. 1996. Revision of the Indo-Pacific holocentrid fishes of the genus Myripristis, with descriptions of three new species. Indo-Pacific Fishes 25: 1-61 figs 1-12 pls 1-9

Randall, J.E. & Greenfield, D.W. 1999. Family Holocentridae. pp. 2225-2256 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790.

Randall, J.E. & Guézé, P. 1981. The holocentrid fishes of the genus Myripristis of the Red Sea, with clarification of the murdjan and hexagonus complexes. Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History Contributions in Science 334: 1-16 figs 1-14

Shimizu, T. & Yamakawa, T. 1979. Review of the squirrelfishes (subfamily Holocentrinae : order Beryciformes) of Japan, with a description of a new species. Japanese Journal of Ichthyology 26(2): 109-147 figs 1-23

 

Common Name References

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp. [169] (Soldierfishes)

Randall, J.E. & Greenfield, D.W. 1999. Family Holocentridae. pp. 2225-2256 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2225] (FAO) (Soldierfishes, Squirrelfishes)

Sainsbury, K.J., Kailola, P.J. & Leyland, G.G. 1984. Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia. Canberra : Fisheries Information Service 375 pp. figs & pls. [84] (Squirrelfishes)

Whitley, G.P. 1948. A list of the fishes of Western Australia. Western Australia Fish Department. Fisheries Bulletin 2: 1-35 map [16] (Squirrel Fishes)

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
06-Jun-2016	BERYCIFORMES	18-May-2016	MODIFIED	Dr Dianne Bray (NMV) Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (AM)
		12-Feb-2010	(import)