HomeFish encyclopediaRay-finned fishesSawbelliesSquirrelfishes, soldierfishesYellow-striped squirrelfish Yellow-striped squirrelfish (Sargocentron ensifer) Scientific name: Sargocentron ensifer Jordan & Evermann, 1903 The Yellow-striped squirrelfish (Sargocentron ensifer) is a marine fish of the family Holocentridae. Native range: Pacific Ocean, southern Japan to New Caledonia, Hawaii and Pitcairn. BiologyDorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11. Body with alternate red and yellow stripes dorsally, and with red and silvery white on side; ventrally, the yellow stripes often as a series of close-set spots, one per scale; head red, an oblique silvery white streak below eye and a vertical one on edge of preopercle; spinous dorsal fin yellow with narrow red margin; white caudal fin with a submarginal red band in each lobe, converging and broadening basally. Five oblique rows of scales on cheek. Body depth 2.5-2.85 in SL; head length 2.6-2.95 in SL; snout length 3.4-3.9 in head length; interorbital width 5.3-6.0 in head length; slightly projecting lower jaw. Maxilla either extending slightly beyond a vertical at front edge of pupil or reaching below center of eye; upper jaw length 2.3-2.65 in head length; premaxillary groove extending to or slightly posterior to a vertical at anterior edge of orbit; anterior end of nasalSource: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific nameSargocentron ensiferFamilyHolocentridae (Squirrelfishes, soldierfishes)OrderBeryciformes (Sawbellies)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length23.0Common length15.0Depth range0–64 m (0–210 ft)EnvironmentMarine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 64 m, usually 0 - 40 mClimateTropicalDistributionPacific Ocean: southern Japan to New Caledonia, Hawaii and Pitcairn.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansHarmlessUsesFisheries: commercialResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.) SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.Last updated 27 September 2026