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)
Redcoat
(Sargocentron rubrum)
Sabre squirrelfish
(Sargocentron spiniferum)
Sammara squirrelfish
(Neoniphon sammara)
Squirrelfish
(Holocentrus adscensionis)
Tailspot squirrelfish
(Sargocentron caudimaculatum)
Discover also
Ballyhoo
(Hemiramphus brasiliensis)
Eastern blue devil
(Paraplesiops bleekeri)
Filament-finned prawn-goby
(Stonogobiops nematodes)
Horse-eye jack
(Caranx latus)
Moorish idol
(Zanclus cornutus)
Sailfin blenny
(Emblemaria pandionis)
Speckled butterflyfish
(Chaetodon citrinellus)
Yarrell's blenny
(Chirolophis ascanii)
The marine species in the Caribbean
Atlantic trumpetfish
(Aulostomus maculatus)
Blue chromis
(Azurina cyanea)
Brown chromis
(Chromis multilineata)
Green moray eel
(Gymnothorax funebris)
Leatherback sea turtle
(Dermochelys coriacea)
Queen parrotfish
(Scarus vetula)
Spanish slipper lobster
(Scyllarides aequinoctialis)
White grunt
(Haemulon plumierii)
Dive centers
'Les Ilets' dive center
Noa dive center
Our latestUpdates
Monday, September 14th 2026
The striped remora
Discover the striped remora (Echeneis naucrates), a marine fish easily recognized by the suction disc on its head, which allows it to attach to large marine animals and travel with them.
Saturday, September 12th 2026
The Caribbean king crab
Discover the Caribbean king crab (Maguimithrax spinosissimus), an impressive reef crab found throughout the Caribbean and western Atlantic.
Thursday, September 10th 2026
The reticulated sandperch
Discover the reticulated sandperch (Parapercis tetracantha), a small Indo-Pacific fish known for its elongated body and distinctive brown and white pattern.
Photo of the Day
Carangue crevalle
(Caranx hippos)
