Relevant synonyms Adioryx ruber Adioryx rubrum Holocentrus rubrum Holocentrus ruber Sargocentron ruber Misidentification None Meristic formula D, XI + 12-14; A, IV + 8-10; P, 13-15; V, I + 5-6; L.L., 34-40; GR, 6-8 + 9-12.  photo : David Darom

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oblong and moderately compressed. Head profile slightly convex; its bones with grooves, ridges and spinules. A strong spine at the lower corner of preoperculum subequal to eye diameter. 1-2 spines on the posterior edge of operculum at eye level. Large eye, 2.5-2.7 times in head length. Terminal mouth with villiform teeth. Coarsely ctenoid scales. color : body with alternating longitudinal red and whitish yellow stripes of about the same width. size : common 12-22 cm (max. 27 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS The color pattern and the strong spine at the lower angle of preoperculum distinguishes this fish from all other Mediterranean species. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY A nocturnal species. During daytime inhabits caves and crevices at depths of 10-40 m. Feeds mainly on decapods and to a lesser extent, on polychaetes, isopods, molluscs and fish. Spawning season from July to August. Pelagic eggs and larvae. Early stage (until 30 mm) characterized by a long rostral preopercular and supraocipital spines. Settles in rocky habitat when reach 30-35 mm. habitat : rocky.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Palestine, 1947. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Red Sea, eastern Africa to Durban, wide Indian-Pacific to Samoa and Japan. Mediterranean : recorded first in Palestine (Haas and Steinitz, 1947); successively recorded in Rhodes (Lakaridis, 1948b), Cyprus (Demetropoulos and Neocleous, 1969) and Libya (Stirn, 1970). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Very common. speculated reasons for success : paucity of nocturnal competitors might facilitate its population growth. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal. IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS Caught in small quantities mainly by trammel net, occasionally by hook and line.

KEY REFERENCES Ben-Eliahu M.N., Golani D. and Ben-Tuvia A., 1983. On predation on polychaetes (Annelida) by the squirrelfish Adioryx ruber (Holocentridae) with a new polychaete record for the Mediterranean coast of Israel. Tethys, 11(1): 15-19. Golani D., 1987. Comparison of morphomeristical variations of Mediterranean and Red Sea populations of the Suez Canal migrant Sargocentron rubrum. Centro, 3: 24-31. Golani D. and Ben-Tuvia A., 1985. The biology of the Indo-Pacific squirrelfish, Sargocentron rubrum (Forsskål), a Suez Canal migrant to the eastern Mediterranean. Journal of Fish Biology, 27: 249-258.   Golani D., Ben-Tuvia A. and Galil B., 1983. Feeding habits of the Suez Canal migrant squirrelfish, Sargocentron rubrum, in the Mediterranean Sea. Israel Journal of Zoology, 32: 194-204. Haas G. and Steinitz H., 1947. Erythrean fishes on the Mediterranean coast of Palestine. Nature, 160: 28. FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: March 2001 ©ciesm 2002