Holocentrus rufus

(Walbaum, 1792)

Longspine Squirrelfish

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: South Florida and Bermuda to Venezuela.

Size: 11 inches (27 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits the entrances of caves and holes or found under ledges on rocky and coral reef faces and fore-reef slopes during daytime hours at depths between 3 - 400 feet (1 - 120 m) and feeds in evening hours mainly on crabs, shrimp, brittle stars, and worms.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade, having a mostly bright red or red striped body sometimes with whitish blotches.

Best maintained in aquariums with several caves/hiding areas large enough to house the adult-sized specimen, as those in this family grow to adulthood quite fast. The aquarium should also be dimly lit, as this is a nocturnal species, preferring to hide throughout daytime hours and feed at night. If maintained in a brightly lit aquarium, i.e., reef aquarium, it should also have sufficient caves as noted above, but will be far less visible in daylight hours. Tankmates must be large enough not to be eaten, as they will also consume smaller fishes.

Requires a meaty diet such as enriched chopped fish or shrimp flesh, mysis, frozen brine shrimp, and/or frozen carnivore foods with one or two feedings per day.

May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium due to its nocturnal feeding habits, and if so, live foods, e.g., live enriched brine shrimp, grass shrimp, black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus), baby mollies and/or guppies should be offered. Over time, it will learn to accept frozen foods like mysis, krill and brine shrimp more readily when offered to others in the aquarium.

Taxonomy:

Order: Beryciformes

Suborder: Holocentroidei

Family: Holocentridae

Genus: Holocentrus

FYI: Best maintained singly. Will fight another specimen trying to enter its hiding place.

Must have caves/hiding areas.

Will eat ornamental shrimp.

Sensitive to tapping on aquarium side panels.

Have spines on their head and gills, which can come entangled in nets and also a large preopercular spine, which can inflict a wound if mishandled by the aquarist.

Makes clicking and grunting sounds at dusk and dawn.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 125+ gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 80°F (22 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5