Holocentridae is a family of beryciform ray-finned fish, the only family of the suborder Holocentroidei. The members of the subfamily Holocentrinae are typically known as squirrelfish, while the members of Myripristinae typically are known as soldierfish.Lieske, Ewald, & Robert Myers. 1999. Coral Reef Fishes - Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific Ocean including the Red Sea. 2nd edition. In Hawaii, they are known by the Japanese name or the Hawaiian .
They are found in tropical parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, with the greatest species richness near reefs in the Indo-Pacific. Most are found at depths from the shoreline to , but some, notably the members of the genus Ostichthys, are generally found far deeper. Being largely or entirely nocturnal, they have relatively large eyes. During the day, they typically remain hidden in crevices, caves, or under ledges. Red and silvery colours dominate.Debelius, Helmut. 1993. Indian Ocean Tropical Fish Guide. The preopercle spines (near the gill opening) of the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae are venomous, and can give painful wounds.Randall, John E. 2005. Reef and Shore Fishes of the South Pacific.. Allen, Gerry. 1999. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and south-east Asia. Most have a maximum length of , but Sargocentron iota barely reaches , and S. spiniferum and Holocentrus adscensionis can reach more than . The squirrelfishes mainly feed on small fishes and benthic invertebrates, while the soldierfishes typically feed on zooplankton. The larvae are pelagic, unlike the adults, and can be found far out to sea.
Timeline Definitive holocentroid fishes first appear in the earliest part of the Cenozoic and boast a modest fossil record.
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