HOLOCENTRIDAE


Sargocentron tiereoides, 19.7 cm SL
(photo by Seishi Kimura)


Sargocentron tiereoides
(Bleeker, 1853)
Pink Squirrelfish

D XI, 12-14; A IV, 9-10; P1 13-15; LLp 39-44; GR 6-8 + 12-14.

Body moderately deep. Corner of preopercle with a sharp spine. Mouth often terminal; maxilla extending to between verticals just short of front of the pupil and just about center of the eye, premaxillary groove extending distinctly posterior to a vertical at anterior edge of orbit. Anterior end of nasal bone with 2 short diverging spines; surface and medial margin of nasal bone spineless; moderately large nasal fossa usually without spinules on margin; upper edge of suborbital bones uniformly serrate. 4 oblique scale rows on cheek; 2 opercular spines. Color: body silvery pink with longitudinal red stripes; head red with silvery reflections on cheek and opercle; spinous dorsal pink or light red with submarginal dark red band, the membranes tipped in white; other fins red to yellowish red, with the upper and lower edges of caudal fin darker red; leading edges of anal and pelvic fins white with a submarginal darker red band, base of pectoral fins darker red. Size: maximum length about 17 cm. Distribution: Indo- Pacific, from East Africa (except the Red Sea) to Line and Society Islands. Remarks: found in relatively deep waters of outer reef slopes and has been collected on reef flat and lagoon patch reefs.