Violet squirrelfish (Sargocentron violaceum)

Scientific name: Sargocentron violaceum Bleeker, 1853

Violet squirrelfish (Sargocentron violaceum)

The Violet squirrelfish (Sargocentron violaceum) is a marine fish of the family Holocentridae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12-15; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 9. Body color brownish to purplish red; head primarily red; upper part of opercular membrane blackish; each scale with vertical silvery white line. Four to five oblique scale rows on cheek; body depth 2.3-2.7 in SL; head length (HL) 2.4-2.85 in SL; snout length 3.75-4.35 in HL; maxilla extending posteriorly from below front of pupil to below center of the eye, upper jaw length 2.7-2.85 in HL; premaxillary groove about a vertical at front edge of orbit; anterior end of nasal bone with 2 diverging spines; medial margin of nasal bone spineless (however, a Seychelles specimen 20.6 cm has one small spinule on the edge); 1-3 spinules on anterior and posterior margins of nasal fossa; suborbital bones' upper edge smooth anteriorly, becoming slightly serrate posteriorly (serrae as recumbent spinules); adults' preopercular spines long, 2.85-3.8 in HL (at least equal to orbit diameter). 2

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Sargocentron violaceum
Family
Holocentridae (Squirrelfishes, soldierfishes)
Order
Beryciformes (Sawbellies)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
45.0
Depth range
1–30 m (3–98 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 1 - 30 m, usually 1 - 15 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Indo-Pacific: Aldabra and the Laccadive Islands to the Society Islands, north to Ryukyu Islands, south to the southern Great Barrier Reef; Palau to the eastern Caroline and Marshall Islands in Micronesia.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Venomous
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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