132: HOLOCENTRIDAE (SQUIRRELFISHES, SOLDIERFISHES)
Body light red to yellowish, the scale edges red; black pigment of opercular membrane extending to or nearly to level
of upper P base; upper part of P axil blackish; fins red, the
leading edges of soft D, A, C and V white; no black streaks
in these fins submarginal to the white, Attains 20 cm.
Ranges from Samoa Ids. to Inhaca Id., Mozambique.
132.24 Myripristis kuntee
Cuvier, 1831
PLATE 22
Epaulette soldierfish
Epoulet soldaat
Myripristis kuntee Cuvier, in Cuv, & Val., 1831: 487 (Mauritius).
Myripristis borbonicus Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 489 (Reunion).
Myripristis pralinus (non Cuvier): Smith, 1955: 5*; 1961: 566, No. 298b.
Myripristis kuntee: Greenfield, 1974: 28*.
D XlI,15-17; A IV,14-16; P 15; LL 37-44; total GR 33-41. Interorbital
width 3.0-5.0 in head; no scales on inner side of P base; a single pair of
tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside gape; 3rd A spine
shorter than 4th.
Body red dorsally, becoming silvery pink below LL; a
broad reddish brown bar from upper end of gill opening to
base of P; spinous D pale translucent red basally and
broadly yellow distally; remaining fins red, this colour most
dense on C, in a very large spot on outer part of elevated
anterior part of soft D and A, and in a submarginal band to
the white leading edge of V; leading edges of soft D, A and
C narrowly white. Largest specimen, 20 cm, from Lord
Howe Id.; Indo-Pacific, south to Natal.
132.25 Myripristis melanosticta
Bleeker, 1863
PLATE 19
Pale soldier
Bleek soldaat
Myripristis melanostictus Bleeker, 1863: 237 (Ternate); Randall &
Gueze, 1981: 3*.
D XlI,13-15; A IV,1l-12 (usually 12); P 14-15; LL 27-29; total GR 3238. Interorbital width 4.5-5.6 in head; no scales on inner side of P base; 2
pairs of tooth patches, one above the other, at symphysis of lower jaw-just
outside gape; vomerine tooth patch triangular with rounded corners.
Front of head red; postorbital head and body silvery
white, the edges of the scales red (dark reddish brown on
nape and anterodorsally on body); opercular membrane
black to about half the distance from opercular spine to P
base; a broad red bar along edge of gill opening to P axil;
spinous D whitish on basal half, red on outer half;
remaining median fins red with white leading edges, the
lobe tips with a large black spot; paired fins whitish.
Attains 30 cm. Indian Ocean (Sri Lanka, Maldives and
Sodwana Bay) to Japan and the New Hebrides. Generally
occurs deeper than 25 m; caught in trawls to about 70 m.
Rare.
424
132.26 Myripristis murdjan
(Forsskal, 1775)
PLATE 22
Blotcheye soldier
Vlekoog-soldaat
Sciaena murdjan Forsskill, 1775: 48 (Jeddah, Red Sea). Myripristis axillaris Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 491 (Mauritius). Myripristis
murdjan: Smith, SFSA No. 298*; Greenfield, 1974: 19*; Randall &
Gueze, 1981: 13*.
D XlI,13-15; A IV,ll-13; P 14-16; LL 27-32; total GR 36-43. Interorbital width 3.7-4.4 in head; numerous small scales on inner side of P
base; a single pair of tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside
mouth.
Head, body and fins reddish; edge of body scales darker;
leading edge of soft D, A, C and V with white stripe; soft D,
A and C with or without dark pigment at tips of longest rays.
Attains 27 cm. Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific south to
Natal. A coral-reef species found in depths of 1 - 50 m.
Scarlet soldier
132.27 Myripristis pralinia
Cuvier, 1829
PLATE 22
Helderrooi soldaat
Myripristis pralinus Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1829: 170 (Port Praslin,
New Ireland); Greenfield, 1974: 22*.
D XlI,14-16; A IV,13-15; P 15; LL 34-40; total GR 35-42. Interorbital
width 2.8-4.0 in head; no scales on inner side of P base; a single pair of
tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside mouth.
Head, body and fins scarlet; upper part of opercular
membrane black; black blotch in P axil; no black pigment in
median fins. Attains 20 cm. Known from islands of the western Indian Ocean and western Pacific. Previous records
from the African coast (Smith, 1955; 1961: p. 566, No. 298b)
were based on a misidentification of M. kuntee.
132.28 Myripristis seychellensis
Cuvier, 1829
PLATE 21
Seychelles soldier
Seychelles-soldaat
Myripristis seychellensis Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1829: 172 (Seychelles);
Randall & Gueze, 1981: 10*.
D XlI,14-15; A IV,13; P 14-15; LL28; GR (12-15)+(25-29). Interorbital width 3.6-4.5 in head; inside ofP base mostly covered with small scales;
a single pair of tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside mouth.
Head and body pale reddish brown; opercular membrane
and P axil reddish black. Attains 23 cm. Known only from
the Seychelles, Reunion and St. Brandon's Shoals.
Body light red to yellowish, the scale edges red; black pigment of opercular membrane extending to or nearly to level
of upper P base; upper part of P axil blackish; fins red, the
leading edges of soft D, A, C and V white; no black streaks
in these fins submarginal to the white, Attains 20 cm.
Ranges from Samoa Ids. to Inhaca Id., Mozambique.
132.24 Myripristis kuntee
Cuvier, 1831
PLATE 22
Epaulette soldierfish
Epoulet soldaat
Myripristis kuntee Cuvier, in Cuv, & Val., 1831: 487 (Mauritius).
Myripristis borbonicus Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 489 (Reunion).
Myripristis pralinus (non Cuvier): Smith, 1955: 5*; 1961: 566, No. 298b.
Myripristis kuntee: Greenfield, 1974: 28*.
D XlI,15-17; A IV,14-16; P 15; LL 37-44; total GR 33-41. Interorbital
width 3.0-5.0 in head; no scales on inner side of P base; a single pair of
tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside gape; 3rd A spine
shorter than 4th.
Body red dorsally, becoming silvery pink below LL; a
broad reddish brown bar from upper end of gill opening to
base of P; spinous D pale translucent red basally and
broadly yellow distally; remaining fins red, this colour most
dense on C, in a very large spot on outer part of elevated
anterior part of soft D and A, and in a submarginal band to
the white leading edge of V; leading edges of soft D, A and
C narrowly white. Largest specimen, 20 cm, from Lord
Howe Id.; Indo-Pacific, south to Natal.
132.25 Myripristis melanosticta
Bleeker, 1863
PLATE 19
Pale soldier
Bleek soldaat
Myripristis melanostictus Bleeker, 1863: 237 (Ternate); Randall &
Gueze, 1981: 3*.
D XlI,13-15; A IV,1l-12 (usually 12); P 14-15; LL 27-29; total GR 3238. Interorbital width 4.5-5.6 in head; no scales on inner side of P base; 2
pairs of tooth patches, one above the other, at symphysis of lower jaw-just
outside gape; vomerine tooth patch triangular with rounded corners.
Front of head red; postorbital head and body silvery
white, the edges of the scales red (dark reddish brown on
nape and anterodorsally on body); opercular membrane
black to about half the distance from opercular spine to P
base; a broad red bar along edge of gill opening to P axil;
spinous D whitish on basal half, red on outer half;
remaining median fins red with white leading edges, the
lobe tips with a large black spot; paired fins whitish.
Attains 30 cm. Indian Ocean (Sri Lanka, Maldives and
Sodwana Bay) to Japan and the New Hebrides. Generally
occurs deeper than 25 m; caught in trawls to about 70 m.
Rare.
424
132.26 Myripristis murdjan
(Forsskal, 1775)
PLATE 22
Blotcheye soldier
Vlekoog-soldaat
Sciaena murdjan Forsskill, 1775: 48 (Jeddah, Red Sea). Myripristis axillaris Valenciennes, in Cuv. & Val., 1831: 491 (Mauritius). Myripristis
murdjan: Smith, SFSA No. 298*; Greenfield, 1974: 19*; Randall &
Gueze, 1981: 13*.
D XlI,13-15; A IV,ll-13; P 14-16; LL 27-32; total GR 36-43. Interorbital width 3.7-4.4 in head; numerous small scales on inner side of P
base; a single pair of tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside
mouth.
Head, body and fins reddish; edge of body scales darker;
leading edge of soft D, A, C and V with white stripe; soft D,
A and C with or without dark pigment at tips of longest rays.
Attains 27 cm. Red Sea and Indo-West Pacific south to
Natal. A coral-reef species found in depths of 1 - 50 m.
Scarlet soldier
132.27 Myripristis pralinia
Cuvier, 1829
PLATE 22
Helderrooi soldaat
Myripristis pralinus Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1829: 170 (Port Praslin,
New Ireland); Greenfield, 1974: 22*.
D XlI,14-16; A IV,13-15; P 15; LL 34-40; total GR 35-42. Interorbital
width 2.8-4.0 in head; no scales on inner side of P base; a single pair of
tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside mouth.
Head, body and fins scarlet; upper part of opercular
membrane black; black blotch in P axil; no black pigment in
median fins. Attains 20 cm. Known from islands of the western Indian Ocean and western Pacific. Previous records
from the African coast (Smith, 1955; 1961: p. 566, No. 298b)
were based on a misidentification of M. kuntee.
132.28 Myripristis seychellensis
Cuvier, 1829
PLATE 21
Seychelles soldier
Seychelles-soldaat
Myripristis seychellensis Cuvier, in Cuv. & Val., 1829: 172 (Seychelles);
Randall & Gueze, 1981: 10*.
D XlI,14-15; A IV,13; P 14-15; LL28; GR (12-15)+(25-29). Interorbital width 3.6-4.5 in head; inside ofP base mostly covered with small scales;
a single pair of tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside mouth.
Head and body pale reddish brown; opercular membrane
and P axil reddish black. Attains 23 cm. Known only from
the Seychelles, Reunion and St. Brandon's Shoals.