Neoniphon sammara

Sammara squirrelfish
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Beryciformes
Family: Holocentridae
Subfamily: Holocentrinae
Genus: Neoniphon
Species: N. sammara
Binomial name
Neoniphon sammara
Forsskål, 1775

Neoniphon sammara, also known as the sammara squirrelfish, the blood-spot squirrelfish, the spotfin squirrelfish, the armed squirrel-fish, and the javelin squirrelfish, is a species squirrelfish found in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean from East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands.[2] It feeds on shrimps and small crabs and fish at night[1] and can grow up to 32.0 centimetres (12.6 in) TL in length, though its common length is only 23.0 centimetres (9.1 in) TL. Like N. opercularis, it has a venomous spine on its preopercle.[2]

Habitat

N. sammara lives alone or in small groups on seagrass beds and hard substrates in reef flats and lagoons. It can be found at depths between 0 and 46 metres (0 and 151 ft). Of its genus, it is the most likely to be found in shallow waters and it is often associated with Acropora corals,[2] which it will use as shelter during the day.[1]

Commercial use

N. sammara is not a commonly-eaten fish, but is common in the Indian aquarium trade. It can also be used as bait for tuna fisheries.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Williams, I. (2015). "Neoniphon sammara". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.1. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 31 December 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2016). "Neoniphon sammara" in FishBase. December 2016 version.
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