North Pacific squirrelfish
📖 Overview
Lives in rocky soil of deep waters . Benthopelagic in or near crevices and caves of rocky substrates .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 77; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 8 - 9. Body with 9 red stripes alternating with 9 narrower white stripes that pass along the middle of the longitudinal scale rows; head red with a white bar along the posterior margin of preopercle. Five oblique scale rows on cheek; body depth 2.45-2.75 in SL; head length (HL) 2.5-2.7 in SL; snout length 3.6-4.0 in HL; large eyes, orbit diameter 2.6-3.1; least interorbital width 4.5-5.1 in HL; maxilla extending from a vertical at front edge of the pupil to slightly beyond the center of the eye, upper jaw length 2.45-2.8 in HL; premaxillary groove usually not reaching a vertical at front edge of the orbit; rounded anterior end of nasal bone; moderately large nasal fossa, often spineless (1 specimen with 1 spinule on anterior edge on one side, another with 2 projecting outward); upper surface of nasal bone with 4-16 small retrorse spines between nasal fossa and edge of premaxillary groove; often 2 or 3 small retrorse spines posteriorly on medial edge of nasal bone (premaxillary groove margin); 2 long opercular spines, the lower about 3/4 length to nearly as long as the upper spine; preopercular spine, 4.45-6.6 in HL; ridge at upper edge of suborbital bones serrate, the serrae decreasing in size posteriorly; 3rd or 4th dorsal spine longest, 1.9-2.25 in HL; 3rd anal spine 1.35-1.6 in HL; rounded caudal fin lobes .: fusiform / normal; Cross section: compressed.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for North Pacific squirrelfish is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
🥚 Reproduction
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 120 - 230 m . Subtropical Northwest Pacific: southern Japan to Taiwan; also reported from Hawaii (Ref.
🌿 Ecology
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
| Language | Common Names |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧English | North Pacific Squirrelfish |
| 🇯🇵Japanese | Ittodai · イットウダイ |
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adioryx spinosissimus | Temminck & Schlegel | 1843 | Synonym |
| Holocentrum spinosissimum | Temminck & Schlegel | 1843 | Synonym |
| Holocentrus spinosissimus | Temminck & Schlegel | 1843 | Synonym |
🔍 Similar Species
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 2 records indexed .
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