Sealife guideThe blackbar soldierfishMyripristis jacobus
Last updated on 06/10/2024 at 11:44 PM
Taxonomy
- Common name: Blackbar soldierfish
- French name: Marignan mombin ou poisson soldat à barre noire
- Spanish name: Candil colorado,soldado raya negra
- Scientific name: Myripristis jacobus (Cuvier, 1829)
- Family name: Holocentridae
- Order name: Holocentriformes
- Class name: Actinopterygii
Description
The blackbar soldierfish has a predominantly red body with a broad, oblique black bar at the back of its head, making it easy to recognize. The red color lightens on its belly.
The edges of its fins, including the tail, are white
The soldierfish is a medium-sized species, averaging around 15 centimeters in length.
Geographic range
The blackbar soldierfish is found in the northwest Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat
The blackbar soldierfish is found in the shallow waters of coral reefs as well as in offshore waters to a depth of around 90 meters.
This species lives mainly in shoals, which can easily number in the hundreds.
Diet
The blackbar soldierfish mainly hunts at night, moving very little during the day, when it takes shelter under rocky overhangs and crevices.
Did you know ?
The blackbar soldierfish is listed as many other marine species within The
IUCN Red List of threatened species. The blackbar soldierfish appears in the
IUCN Red List since 2015 within the category Least Concern !
The blackbar soldierfish lives mainly in shoals whose numbers can easily reach a hundred or so individuals. ©
Tim Gurney |
Dreamstime.comWithin the same genus
Pinecone soldierfish
(Myripristis murdjan)
Scarlet soldierfish
(Myripristis pralinia)
Shadowfin soldierfish
(Myripristis adusta)
Within the same family
Blackspot squirrelfish
(Sargocentron melanospilos)
Clearfin squirrelfish
(Neoniphon argenteus)
Longspine squirrelfish
(Holocentrus rufus)
Sabre squirrelfish
(Sargocentron spiniferum)
Sammara squirrelfish
(Neoniphon sammara)
Squirrelfish
(Holocentrus adscensionis)
Tailspot squirrelfish
(Sargocentron caudimaculatum)
Violet squirrelfish
(Sargocentron violaceum)
Discover also
Blackeye goby
(Rhinogobiops nicholsii)
Brown chromis
(Chromis multilineata)
Cardinalfish
(Apogon imberbis)
Graysby
(Cephalopholis cruentata)
Mosshead warbonnet
(Chirolophis nugator)
Picarel
(Spicara smaris)
Sargassum triggerfish
(Xanthichthys ringens)
White eyed moray
(Gymnothorax thyrsoideus)
The marine species in the Caribbean
Bandtail puffer
(Sphoeroides spengleri)
Bearded fireworm
(Hermodice carunculata)
Caribbean reef shark
(Carcharhinus perezi)
Gag grouper
(Mycteroperca microlepis)
Honeycomb cowfish
(Acanthostracion polygonium)
Longsnout seahorse
(Hippocampus reidi)
Spotfin butterflyfish
(Chaetodon ocellatus)
West Indian sea egg
(Tripneustes ventricosus)
Dive centers
'Les Ilets' dive center
Noa dive center
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