?Squirrelfish?
Posted April 21st, 2010 by MartinDick
Images:
Is this a squirrelfish? It is hard for me to tell with the dorsal fin folded down. If it is a squirrelfish, is it just a squirrelfish, as opposed to a longspine, reef or other type? I suspect, due to the bright yellow of the folded dorsal, it is just a squirrelfish.
Photo taken April 20, 2010 at Snapper Ledge, Key Largo, Florida. Water depth about 30 feet. Water temperature probably 79 degrees.
I think your suspicions are right
My opinion is that this is the squirrelfish. I'm thinking that because a) how pale all the fins towards the back and tail are. b) the yellow you mention on folded dorsal. c) the white line under the eye along the upper "lip" kind of opens up and fades out towards the gill. On the longspines pics I've seen it stays as a sharp line all the way back (probably not true of all specimens I don't know) .
Thank You
Thank You,
Marty
Squirrelfish, Holocanthus adscensionis
Yes the yellow on the dorsal confirms it as a Common Squirrelfish, Holocanthus adscensionis. The red body blotch interrupted by the diagonal silver bit is also typical of the Common Squirrelfish. Check out these photos from FishBase: FishBase Species Photo Page
Thank You
Thank You,
Marty