Nocturnal , inhabits clear reefs . Found near mouths of caves and holes ; at night they usually move to sandy areas and grass beds to feed on crabs, shrimps, gastropods and brittle stars . Marketed fresh but not popular as a food fish .
Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14 - 16; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 9 - 11. Conspicuous white spot behind tip of each dorsal spine . Body slender. Upper jaw extending posteriorly to middle of pupil . Body bright red or red striped, sometimes blotched . Similar in color to H. ascensionis, but each interspinous membrane of dorsal fin with a white spot near margin .: fusiform / normal.
Behavioural data for Longspine squirrelfish is currently being reviewed.
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 32 m . Tropical; 36°N - 28°S, 98°W - 31°W South America and Brazil; throughout the West Indies (Ref.
crabs, shrimps, gastropods and brittle stars (Ref
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | Longspine squirrelfish · Squirrelfish · Wrenchman |
| 🏳️Catalan | Peix esquirol d'espina llarga |
| 🌍CES | pruhatec dlouhotrnný |
| 🇩🇰Danish | Langpigget egernfisk |
| 🇩🇪German | Karibischer Eichhörnchenfisch · Langstachelhusar |
| 🇫🇷French | Marignan queue fine · Marignon soldat |
| 🇵🇹Portuguese | Peixe-esquilo-espinhoso |
| 🇷🇺Russian | Длинношипая рыба-белка · Рыжая рыба-белка |
| 🇪🇸Spanish | Candil Soldado · Candil ardilla · Carajuelo · candil rufo · carajuelo rufo |
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Holocentrus meeki | Bean | 1906 | Synonym |
| Perca rufa | Walbaum | 1792 | Synonym |
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 76 records indexed .
No observations yet - be the first to log one!
View all observations for Longspine squirrelfish ↗Spotted incorrect or outdated data? Submit a correction and our editorial team will review it. Approved edits go live within 48 hours.
Found a factual error, broken data, or inappropriate content? Let us know and we will investigate promptly.