132: HOLOCENTRIDAE (SQUIRRELFISHES, SOLDIERFISHES)
8a Oblique rows of scales on cheek 4; upper jaw length
2.3-2.6 in head; dark pigment of V mainly on 1st ray.... S. praslin
8b Oblique rows of scales on cheek 5; upper jaw length
2.5-2.7 in head; dark pigment of V confined to tips
of 2nd to 6th rays and distal margin of fin ................... S. rub rum
9a LL 38-43; preopercular spine usually more than 73 eye
diameter....................................................................... 10
9b LL 41-55; preopercular spine shorter than 73 eye diameter
(except in S. tiere, which has 46-52 LL scales) ....................... 11
lOa Premaxillary groove not reaching past a vertical at front
edge of orbit; oblique rows of scales on cheek 5; D
rays usually 14; edge of nasal fossa with or without
spinules; body red, without stripes; prominent silvery
white spot on peduncle at D base, or C peduncle
and entire rear)) of body silvery white .......... S. caudimaculatum
lOb Premaxillary groove reaches well past vertical
at front edge of orbit; oblique rows of scales
on cheek 4; D rays usually 13; no spinules at edge
of nasal fossa; alternating stripes of red and silvery
white on body; no silvery white spot on peduncle ...... S. tiereoides
lla Preopercular spine of adults 73 or more of eye
diameter; longest D spine 2.6-3.5 in head; body red
with faint silvery stripes, those on lower part
showing blue iridescence; attains 27 em SL ..................... S. tiere
11b Preopercular spine of adults Yz or less of eye diameter;
longest D spines 1.5-2.3 in head; body distinctly striped
with red and silvery white; not exceeding 16 em SL ................ 12
12a Medioposterior margin of nasal bone with 1 or 2
spinules; LL 48-55; body elongate, the depth
2.9-3.5 in SL .................................................. S. microstoma
Sargocentron microstoma: dorsal view of snout of 15 em specimen showing
spinule on eaeh side of maxillary groove.
12b Medioposterior margin of nasal bone without spinules;
LL41-49; body depth 2.7-3.3 in SL ..................................... 13
13a Interorbital width greater than snout length;
V 1.5-1.75 in head; body usually covered with
blackish dots ............................................ S. punctatissimum
13b Interorbital width subequal to or shorter than snout length;
V 1.25-1.5 in head; body not covered with blackish dots .......... 14
14a P rays usually 14; spinous D reddish black (membrane
tips white), with a more or less distinct longitudinal
white band along front half of fin usually present;
longitudinal body stripes distinct on preserved
specimens .......................................................... S. diadema
14b P rays usually 15; spinous D red (membrane tips
white), with a curved white band along middle of fin
formed by a series of white spots (1 per interspinous
membrane) beginning at base of 1st membrane;
longitudinal body stripes faint on preserved
specimens and usually a dusky blotch on 1st 1 or 2
interspinous D membranes ...................................... S. ittodai
418
132.5 Sargocentron caudimaculatum
(Ruppell, 1838)
PLATE 19
Tailspot squirrelfish
Stertkol-soldaat
Holocentrum caudimaculatus Riippell, 1838: 103 (on Holocentrus
spiniJer (non Forsskttl): Riippell, 1829: 86, PI. 23, Fig. 1; Red Sea).
Holocentrus andamanensis: Smith, 1951: 50*; 1953: 515, No. 297b*.
Holocentrus caudimaculatus: Smith, 1955: 5; 1961: 566, No. 296a.
Sargocentron caudimaculatum: Randall & Heemstra, 1985: 7*.
D XU13-15; A IV,9; P 13-15; LL38-43; body depth 2.5-2.9, head length
2.4-3.1 in SL; preopercular spine subequal to eye diameter.
Head and body red, the scales edged in silver; a silvery
white spot anterodorsally on C peduncle (often disappearing after death; sometimes entire rear Yz of body is silvery
white); horizontal white line along upper edge of opercle;
spinous D mottled light red, the outer part of the membranes bright red. Attains about 25 cm. Red Sea and IndoPacific; south to Xora River mouth, Transkei; relatively
common at Sodwana Bay.
132.6 Sargocentron diadema
(Lacepede, 1801)
PLATE 19
Crown squirrelfish
Kroon-soldaat
Holocentrus diadema Lacepede, 1801: PI. 32, Fig. 3; 1802: 335,372 (no
locality); Smith, SFSA No. 296*; 1964: 295. Sargocentron diadema Randall & Heemstra, 1985: 8*.
D XIII2-14; A IV,8-1O; P 13-15; LL 46-50; oblique rows of cheek scales
5-6; GR (5-7)+(12-14). Body depth 2.7-3.2, head length 2.9-3.5 in SL;
nasal fossa small, without spinules.
Body with alternating stripes of red and silvery white, the
red stripes much broader than the white; C peduncle
whitish. Attains 17 cm. An abundant coral-reef species,
usually found in depths of 2 - 30 m; Smith (1964) reported a
specimen from 405 m off Durban, I:?ut we suspect that the
specimen was mislabelled. Wide-ranging in the IndoPacific; south to East London.
132.6 Sargocentron diadema: head of 5 em small juvenile.
8a Oblique rows of scales on cheek 4; upper jaw length
2.3-2.6 in head; dark pigment of V mainly on 1st ray.... S. praslin
8b Oblique rows of scales on cheek 5; upper jaw length
2.5-2.7 in head; dark pigment of V confined to tips
of 2nd to 6th rays and distal margin of fin ................... S. rub rum
9a LL 38-43; preopercular spine usually more than 73 eye
diameter....................................................................... 10
9b LL 41-55; preopercular spine shorter than 73 eye diameter
(except in S. tiere, which has 46-52 LL scales) ....................... 11
lOa Premaxillary groove not reaching past a vertical at front
edge of orbit; oblique rows of scales on cheek 5; D
rays usually 14; edge of nasal fossa with or without
spinules; body red, without stripes; prominent silvery
white spot on peduncle at D base, or C peduncle
and entire rear)) of body silvery white .......... S. caudimaculatum
lOb Premaxillary groove reaches well past vertical
at front edge of orbit; oblique rows of scales
on cheek 4; D rays usually 13; no spinules at edge
of nasal fossa; alternating stripes of red and silvery
white on body; no silvery white spot on peduncle ...... S. tiereoides
lla Preopercular spine of adults 73 or more of eye
diameter; longest D spine 2.6-3.5 in head; body red
with faint silvery stripes, those on lower part
showing blue iridescence; attains 27 em SL ..................... S. tiere
11b Preopercular spine of adults Yz or less of eye diameter;
longest D spines 1.5-2.3 in head; body distinctly striped
with red and silvery white; not exceeding 16 em SL ................ 12
12a Medioposterior margin of nasal bone with 1 or 2
spinules; LL 48-55; body elongate, the depth
2.9-3.5 in SL .................................................. S. microstoma
Sargocentron microstoma: dorsal view of snout of 15 em specimen showing
spinule on eaeh side of maxillary groove.
12b Medioposterior margin of nasal bone without spinules;
LL41-49; body depth 2.7-3.3 in SL ..................................... 13
13a Interorbital width greater than snout length;
V 1.5-1.75 in head; body usually covered with
blackish dots ............................................ S. punctatissimum
13b Interorbital width subequal to or shorter than snout length;
V 1.25-1.5 in head; body not covered with blackish dots .......... 14
14a P rays usually 14; spinous D reddish black (membrane
tips white), with a more or less distinct longitudinal
white band along front half of fin usually present;
longitudinal body stripes distinct on preserved
specimens .......................................................... S. diadema
14b P rays usually 15; spinous D red (membrane tips
white), with a curved white band along middle of fin
formed by a series of white spots (1 per interspinous
membrane) beginning at base of 1st membrane;
longitudinal body stripes faint on preserved
specimens and usually a dusky blotch on 1st 1 or 2
interspinous D membranes ...................................... S. ittodai
418
132.5 Sargocentron caudimaculatum
(Ruppell, 1838)
PLATE 19
Tailspot squirrelfish
Stertkol-soldaat
Holocentrum caudimaculatus Riippell, 1838: 103 (on Holocentrus
spiniJer (non Forsskttl): Riippell, 1829: 86, PI. 23, Fig. 1; Red Sea).
Holocentrus andamanensis: Smith, 1951: 50*; 1953: 515, No. 297b*.
Holocentrus caudimaculatus: Smith, 1955: 5; 1961: 566, No. 296a.
Sargocentron caudimaculatum: Randall & Heemstra, 1985: 7*.
D XU13-15; A IV,9; P 13-15; LL38-43; body depth 2.5-2.9, head length
2.4-3.1 in SL; preopercular spine subequal to eye diameter.
Head and body red, the scales edged in silver; a silvery
white spot anterodorsally on C peduncle (often disappearing after death; sometimes entire rear Yz of body is silvery
white); horizontal white line along upper edge of opercle;
spinous D mottled light red, the outer part of the membranes bright red. Attains about 25 cm. Red Sea and IndoPacific; south to Xora River mouth, Transkei; relatively
common at Sodwana Bay.
132.6 Sargocentron diadema
(Lacepede, 1801)
PLATE 19
Crown squirrelfish
Kroon-soldaat
Holocentrus diadema Lacepede, 1801: PI. 32, Fig. 3; 1802: 335,372 (no
locality); Smith, SFSA No. 296*; 1964: 295. Sargocentron diadema Randall & Heemstra, 1985: 8*.
D XIII2-14; A IV,8-1O; P 13-15; LL 46-50; oblique rows of cheek scales
5-6; GR (5-7)+(12-14). Body depth 2.7-3.2, head length 2.9-3.5 in SL;
nasal fossa small, without spinules.
Body with alternating stripes of red and silvery white, the
red stripes much broader than the white; C peduncle
whitish. Attains 17 cm. An abundant coral-reef species,
usually found in depths of 2 - 30 m; Smith (1964) reported a
specimen from 405 m off Durban, I:?ut we suspect that the
specimen was mislabelled. Wide-ranging in the IndoPacific; south to East London.
132.6 Sargocentron diadema: head of 5 em small juvenile.