speckled squirrelfish
Sargocentron punctatissimum
Squirrelfish of shallow reefs in the Indo-Pacific and eastern Pacific, with a venomous spine on the cheek. It has commercial use and is also sold for aquariums.
Also called: mariquita-pintalgada, speckled squirrelfish
- maximum
- 23 cm
- depth
- 1–30 m
who is the speckled squirrelfish
The spotted squirrelfish belongs to the family Holocentridae, the squirrelfishes and soldierfishes. It reaches 23 cm and lives on shallow reefs, in crevices and ledges, from the Red Sea to Hawaii and Easter Island, Chile. It usually stays between 1 and 30 m deep. By day it stays in crevices and, at night, spreads over sand bottoms to feed on small crustaceans, crustacean larvae and polychaete worms. It has commercial use and is also sold for aquariums.
Essential profile. Identification, where it occurs and rules, with data from FishBase and the cited regulations. Season, time of day, technique and bait are added once we have a good source for the speckled squirrelfish; in the meantime, see the similar species.
identification
Silvery-reddish body, bluish and shiny on the back, with scales finely dotted with black. The spiny dorsal fin is white-silver, with a broad red margin. The mouth is small and almost terminal, and the preopercle spine is short. Compare it with Myripristis berndti, which has a protruding lower jaw and a red lower half of the fins.
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Each card shows the day's index (0 to 100) and, below it, a strip with the index for each hour, from 0h to 23h. from poor to excellent.
Essential profile: the index uses a general fish model (weather, sun, moon and tide), without a season or time of day specific to this species.
where found
Occurs in the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea to Hawaii, and in the eastern Pacific as far as Easter Island, Chile.
Habitat: Crevices, tunnels and ledges of shallow reefs, spreading over sand at night.
when to fish
best time of day
Nighttime. By day it stays in reef tunnels and crevices; at night it spreads over sand and open bottom to feed.
rules for the speckled squirrelfish
Summary of the regulations we found, with the source for each. Rules change; before keeping or transporting fish, check with the state environmental agency.
We found no species-specific rule beyond the region's general rules.
catch and release
catch and release Releasing the fish alive, quickly and with a wet hand. During a closed season it isn't always allowed: what the regulation says applies.
The cheek spine (preopercle) is venomous and wounds anyone who touches it. Hold the fish by the body, away from the head, and remove the hook carefully.
how much it weighs without taking it out of the water
Length-weight relationship W = a·Lb (a = 0.0138, b = 2.98; FishBase (relação peso-comprimento bayesiana, estimativa da própria espécie)). It's an average: a fat or lean fish can vary by 10% to 20%.
estimated weight
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sources and references
Essential profile: size, length-weight, depth, countries and conservation come from FishBase and the cited regulations, and the texts were written from those sources. Season, time of day, sensitivities, technique and baits and lures are not included yet, because we did not find a good source for this species.
- scientific FishBase: Sargocentron punctatissimum (ficha da espécie)Size, length-weight, depth, habitat, distribution, biology, and IUCN status. Page checked on Oct 13, 2026.
- scientific FishBase: nomes populares de Sargocentron punctatissimumNames by country and language.
