Spiny Squirrelfish

Body light red to orange-red with narrow darker red stripes separating scale rows; white streak on head absent (except beneath maxilla); 4-5 oblique scale rows on cheek; body depth 2.65-2.95 in SL; head length (HL) 2.55-2.8 in SL; snout length 3.8-4.15 in HL; interorbital width 5.25-6.35 in HL; dorsal head profile slightly convex; maxilla extending to between verticals at front edge of iris and center of eye; upper jaw length 2.35-2.6 in HL; rounded anterior end of nasal bone; medial margin of nasal bone without retrorse spine; moderately large nasal fossa without spines; upper surface of nasal bone between nasal fossa and premaxillary groove edge with a retrorse spine; 2 opercular spines, with the lower 1/2-3/4 length of the upper; preopercular spine 4.8-6.35 HL; spinules on posterior margin of preopercle 17 (3.3 cm SL specimen), 19 (4.9 cm), 26 (5.3 cm), 30-36 (6.4-8.1 cm); 4th to 6th dorsal spines subequal, the longest, 2.3-2.65 in HL; 3rd anal spine 1.5-1.95 in HL; broadly rounded caudal-fin lobes (Ref. 27370).

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 14; Analspines: 4; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9

Inhabits shallow coral reefs of the Eastern Indian Oceans (Ref. 9137). A nocturnal species (Ref. 75154).

Nocturnal. Minimum depth reported taken from Ref. 11897. Solitary and cryptic, found in outer reef slopes of oceanic islands, mainly in the South Pacific (Ref 90102).