Find a Fish
Spotfin Squirrelfish
Neoniphon sammara (Forsskål, 1775)
A Spotfin Squirrelfish at a depth of 8m, Bougainville Reef, Coral Sea, December 2000. View larger image. View a Spotfin Squirrelfish larva.
A Spotfin Squirrelfish at a depth of 15m, Great Detached Reef, northern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, December 1999. View larger image.
The Spotfin Squirrelfish is silvery-pink above and silver below. It has a red to black spot on each scale and a red stripe along the lateral line. The common name refers to the large dark red spot at the front of the dorsal fin.
This species has a compressed body and a projecting lower jaw. It has a forked caudal fin and strong spines in the dorsal and anal fins.
The Spotfin Squirrelfish grows to 30cm in length.
It is found widely on coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific. In Australia it is recorded from the central coast of Western Australia around the tropical north and south to southern Queensland.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. & R. Swainston. 1988. The Marine Fishes of North-Western Australia. A Field Guide for Anglers and Divers. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 201.
- Kuiter, R.H. 1996. Guide to Sea Fishes of Australia. New Holland. Pp. 433.
- Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & R.C. Steene. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 557.
- View a young Spotfin Squirrelfish on the "very speedy larval fishes" page.
