Crimson Soldierfish, Myripristis murdjan (Forsskål 1775)

Other Names: Blotcheye Soldierfish, Crimson Squirrelfish, Crimson Squirrel-fish, Pinecone Soldierfish

A Crimson Soldierfish, Myripristis murdjan, at South Solitary Island, New South Wales. Source: Ian V. Shaw / Reef Life Survey. License: CC by Attribution

Summary:

A pink to silvery-white soldierfish with large scales having pale centres and red margins, a narrow dark brown to blackish streak or marking on the outer part of the gill cover ending in a blotch at the pectoral-fin base, and red fins (except pectorals) with narrow white leading edges on the soft dorsal, anal, caudal, and pelvic fins.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2022, Myripristis murdjan in Fishes of Australia, accessed 18 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/4441

Crimson Soldierfish, Myripristis murdjan (Forsskål 1775)

More Info

Distribution	Carnarvon and offshore reefs of north Western Australia, and Ashmore Reef and Cartier Island in the Timor Sea, to Sydney, New South Wales; also Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the eastern Indian Ocean, and the Lord Howe Province in the Tasman Sea. Elsewhere the species occurs in the Indo-west-central Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa, to Micronesia and Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, and south to Australia. Inhabits reef flats, shallow lagoons, and seaward reefs on coastal and offshore reefs at depths to 50 m. Soldierfishes are nocturnal and shelter in or near crevices, caves and beneath ledges during the day.
Features	Dorsal fin X + I, 13-15; Anal fin IV, 11-13; Pectoral fin 14-16; Lateral-line scales 27-32; Gill rakers 11-15 + 23-28 = 36-43. Interorbital width: 3.7-4.4 in HL; lower jaw of adults slightly projecting when mouth closed; single pair of tooth patches at symphysis of lower jaw just outside mouth; inner pectoral-fin axil with numerous small scales.
Colour	Body red to dusky red, becoming pale red to silvery pink below; scale edges darker red; operculum with narrow dark brown to black margin usually not extending below level of lower edge of pupil; spinous dorsal fin pale red on basal two-thirds, bright red on outer third; blackish submarginal band along each caudal-fin lobe; leading edges of median fins white; axil of pectoral fins dark brown to black.
Feeding	A mostly nocturnal species that feeds on zooplankton.
Fisheries	Fished in parts of its range.
Similar Species	Differs from the similar Bigscale Soldierfish, Myrispristis berndti, in having a red spinous dorsal fin (vs. orange in M. berndti), and a less inferior or less projecting lower jaw (vs. the lower jaw projecting prominently when mouth closed in M. berndti).
Etymology	The specific name is the Arabic name for this species. (https://www.etyfish.org/holocentriformes/)
Species Citation	Sciaena murdjan Forsskål 1775, Descriptiones Animalium : 48. Type locality: Jeddah, Red Sea.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2022
Resources	Atlas of Living Australia Australian Faunal Directory Catalog of Fishes

Crimson Soldierfish, Myripristis murdjan (Forsskål 1775)

References

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