Ostichthys trachypoma (Günther, 1859)
Bigeye soldierfish
Soldierfish
Ostichthys trachypoma
photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory

Family:  Holocentridae (Squirrelfishes, soldierfishes), subfamily: Myripristinae
Max. size:  20 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  demersal; marine; depth range 37 - 550 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: from New York south along the U.S. coast and widely in the Bahamas; including eastern Gulf of Mexico from Louisiana to the Florida Keys and northwestern Cuba. Throughout the Caribbean except the northwest quadrant in Yucatan and the Bay of Honduras and the Lesser Antilles; including south to Maceió, Alagoas State, Brazil.
Diagnosis:  This species is distinguished by the following characters: 2½ scale rows above lateral line to midbase of spinous portion of dorsal fin; origin of anal fin is beneath spinous portion of dorsal fin; upper procurrent spiniform caudal-fin rays 4, lower rays 3; a half scale anterior to upper half of first lateral-line scale; dorsal profile of head moderately convex; pectoral-fin rays 14–16 (usually 15); lateral-line scales 28–30 (usually 29); gill rakers 8–11 + 14–17; last dorsal-fin spine is longer than penultimate spine and closely applied to soft portion of fin; snout short, 4.6–5.6 in HL; body depth 2.0–2.2 in SL; head length 2.3–2.5 in SL; least depth of caudal peduncle 4.0–4.5 in HL; colour when fresh reddish to silvery ventrally, with red stripes along the body following scale rows and usually narrower than the silvery intervening stripes; juveniles mostly silvery with red stripes limited to upper back (Ref. 114923).
Biology: 
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 29 January 2013 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless
Country info:   
 


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