Inhabitants of the sea are often given strange and simply unusual names. So, among the fish, there is an old wife, the moon, a needle, a parrot, a razor, a clown and other bizarre representatives. In this article we will talk about squirrel fish. You will find the photo, description and features of this animal below.
Holocenter detachment
Squirrel fish belongs to the class of ray-finned fish, which includes almost 95% of all known fish on the planet. Biologists define it in the holocenter family, which includes 8 genera and about 83 species. It also includes Murdzhans, Miripristas, Candili, Sargocentrons and other fish with exotic and rather complex names. Sometimes the name "fish-protein" is applied to the entire squad.
All representatives of the holocenter live in the distant warm waters of the oceans and are not familiar to our parts. They reach medium or small sizes and look somewhat unusual. Fish often have a bright red or orange color, well-pronounced fins and large squirrel-like eyes.
Some of them invented an interesting way to communicate with each other. Thus, the genus kandily transmits signals to its brothers with the help of the swimming bladder, contracting and relaxing the muscles of the ribs. From the outside, the sounds made in this way are like a growl or a thud.
Description of squirrel fish
Fish of the holocentre family reach up to 60 centimeters in length, although this happens infrequently. Most species are quite modest in size, reaching only 15-35 centimeters. Their body is oval, compressed laterally. In the tail region, it narrows strongly, acquiring the shape of a tube.
Common squirrel fish is the most typical representative of holocentre fish. Outwardly, she is very reminiscent of a ruff. Its dorsal fin consists of two parts. The first one is wide and very rigid, it has prickly rays that are connected by wide plates. The second part is soft, connected by narrow plates and rises high above the back. The remaining fins are also soft and equipped with long rays. Squirrel fish have a red or bright orange back and sides, and the abdomen is light silver. Large black eyes are surrounded by a bright red iris.
The reef squirrel of the adiorix soldier is very similar in structure to it. It also has a stiff dorsal fin and well defined pectoral and caudal fins. Its tail is divided into two symmetrical parts and not as thin and long as ordinary squirrel fish. A characteristic feature of the reef soldier is a black spot on the dorsal fin, as well as longitudinal stripes of orange and silver colors, which alternate with each other.
Squirrels from the genus of candies are not so much like them. They have a more elongated and rounded body, more even, almost uniform body color. The color of the Amaen Miriprist is completely orange, while the murjana is silver pink. The fins of these fish have distinct triangular outlines, ragged edges, like ordinary squirrels and reef soldiers, are not typical for them.
Lifestyle & Features
Squirrel fish live in warm subtropical and tropical waters. An ordinary species is found in the Atlantic Ocean, near Central America, Brazil, and also along the entire western coast of the African mainland. Other species are found in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Fish are kept at shallow depths, mainly from 200 to 1000 meters. They are active at night, and during the day they hide in underwater rocks and reefs. They feed mainly on shrimp, crabs and crustaceans, which are part of plankton, sometimes eat polychaete worms, small fish and their larvae.
