North Pacific Squirrelfish

Body with 9 red stripes alternating with 9 narrower white stripes that pass along the middle of the longitudinal scale rows; head red with a white bar along the posterior margin of preopercle. Five oblique scale rows on cheek; body depth 2.45-2.75 in SL; head length (HL) 2.5-2.7 in SL; snout length 3.6-4.0 in HL; large eyes, orbit diameter 2.6-3.1; least interorbital width 4.5-5.1 in HL; maxilla extending from a vertical at front edge of the pupil to slightly beyond the center of the eye, upper jaw length 2.45-2.8 in HL; premaxillary groove usually not reaching a vertical at front edge of the orbit; rounded anterior end of nasal bone; moderately large nasal fossa, often spineless (1 specimen with 1 spinule on anterior edge on one side, another with 2 projecting outward); upper surface of nasal bone with 4-16 small retrorse spines between nasal fossa and edge of premaxillary groove; often 2 or 3 small retrorse spines posteriorly on medial edge of nasal bone (premaxillary groove margin); 2 long opercular spines, the lower about 3/4 length to nearly as long as the upper spine; preopercular spine, 4.45-6.6 in HL; ridge at upper edge of suborbital bones serrate, the serrae decreasing in size posteriorly; 3rd or 4th dorsal spine longest, 1.9-2.25 in HL; 3rd anal spine 1.35-1.6 in HL; rounded caudal fin lobes (Ref. 27370).

Dorsal spines (total): 11 - 77; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Analspines: 4; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9

Lives in rocky soil of deep waters.

Lives in rocky soil of deep waters (Ref. 9137). Benthopelagic in or near crevices and caves of rocky substrates (Ref. 58302).

分布於臺灣至日本南方，屬於分布緯度較北之魚種。臺灣發現於北部、東北部、南部、小琉球、蘭嶼及綠島等海域。陳等(2010)首次紀錄於墾丁地區。

一般以一支釣及延繩釣的方法捕獲。魚肉白，但質地較爛，煮湯時肉易散開且多溶解油質，因此適合抹鹽油煎食用。唯須注意其內臟可能累積熱帶海魚毒。而它的鱗片及棘刺尖利，需小心刺傷。在水族館中也有人看上它鮮紅的體色，將它飼養做為觀賞魚。

體呈橢圓形，中等側扁。頭部具黏液囊，外露骨骼多有脊紋。眼大。口端位，裂斜。下頜不突出於上頜。前上頜骨的凹槽大約不達眼窩前緣的垂直線上；鼻骨的前緣圓形，後端具小棘；鼻窩通常沒有小刺(有些標本則有)。前鰓蓋骨後下角具ㄧ強棘；眶下骨上緣鋸齒狀。體被大型櫛鱗；側線完全，側線鱗數 35-38，側線至背鰭硬棘中間點之鱗片數 2.5；頰上具 5 列斜鱗。鰓耙數5-8+10-11=15-19。背鰭連續，單一，硬棘部及軟條部間具深凹，具硬棘 X-I，軟條13；最後一根硬棘短於前一根硬棘。臀鰭有硬棘 IV，軟條8- 9(9)；胸鰭軟條 13-15 (14)；尾鰭深叉形。體側扁長卵形，側線鱗數35～38，上枝鰓耙數5～8，下枝鰓耙數10～11，鼻骨有數枝小棘。體色近於紅色，體側有9～10條銀白色縱帶；在紅色的頭部上沿著前鰓蓋骨的後緣有一條白色的橫帶。背鰭鰭膜紅色；各鰭橙紅色；鰓部及腹部銀白。

主要棲息於深水域的岩石區。白天獨自躲在洞穴或裂縫中休息，或徘徊在家門附近的暗礁之外，夜晚則出外覓食，以蝦蟹之類的甲殼動物或小魚為主要食物。