Yellow Striped Squirrelfish

Body with alternate red and yellow stripes dorsally, and with red and silvery white on side; ventrally, the yellow stripes often as a series of close-set spots, one per scale; head red, an oblique silvery white streak below eye and a vertical one on edge of preopercle; spinous dorsal fin yellow with narrow red margin; white caudal fin with a submarginal red band in each lobe, converging and broadening basally. Five oblique rows of scales on cheek. Body depth 2.5-2.85 in SL; head length 2.6-2.95 in SL; snout length 3.4-3.9 in head length; interorbital width 5.3-6.0 in head length; slightly projecting lower jaw. Maxilla either extending slightly beyond a vertical at front edge of pupil or reaching below center of eye; upper jaw length 2.3-2.65 in head length; premaxillary groove extending to or slightly posterior to a vertical at anterior edge of orbit; anterior end of nasal bone rounded; medial margin of nasal bone without spinule; edge of nasal fossa with 1 to 7 spinules; upper edge of suborbital bones below anterior half of eye without a spine or serrae (below posterior half weakly serrated); preopercular spine about 2/3 times in orbit diameter, 4.3-5.3 in head length; 1st and 2nd dorsal spine subequal, usually the 3rd is the longest, 2.15-2.7 in head length; 3rd anal spine 1.55-1.75 in head length. Usually 10 anal soft rays (Ref. 27370).

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 14; Analspines: 4; Analsoft rays: 9 - 11

Inhabits deep rocky reefs (Ref. 9137).

Inhabits deep reefs (Ref. 27370). Benthopelagic in or near crevices and caves (Ref. 58302). Feeds on small fishes and crustaceans (Ref. 89972).

fisheries: commercial

分布於太平洋區，由日本南部到新加勒多尼亞、夏威夷與皮特凱恩島等。臺灣分布於東部及南部等海域。陳等(2010)首次紀錄於墾丁地區。

一般以一支釣及延繩釣的方法捕獲。魚肉白，但質地較爛，煮湯時肉易散開且多溶解油質，因此適合抹鹽油煎食用。唯須注意其內臟可能累積熱帶海魚毒。而它的鱗片及棘刺尖利，需小心刺傷。在水族館中也有人看上它鮮紅的體色，將它飼養做為觀賞魚。

體呈橢圓形，中等側扁。頭部具黏液囊，外露骨骼多有脊紋。眼大。口端位，裂斜。下頜些微突出於上頜。前上頜骨的凹槽大約達眼窩的前緣稍後方；鼻骨的前緣圓形；鼻窩1-7小刺。鰓蓋骨具1棘；前鰓蓋骨後下角具ㄧ強棘；眶下骨於眼睛前半部下方的上緣沒有棘或鋸齒，後半部之下方則略微鋸齒狀 。體被大型櫛鱗；側線完全，側線鱗數 43-47，側線至背鰭硬棘中間點之鱗片數 3.5；頰上具 5 列斜鱗。鰓耙數6-8+12-14=18-22。背鰭連續，單一，硬棘部及軟條部間具深凹，具硬棘 X-I，軟條 14-15，硬棘鰭膜上緣平直而不凹入；最後一根硬棘短於前一根硬棘。臀鰭有硬棘 IV，軟條 10；胸鰭軟條 15 ；尾鰭深叉形。體背側具有紅黃相間的斑紋，腹側則有紅色與銀白色斑紋；而黃色的斑紋時常是一系列鱗片的斑點靠攏在一起所形成的。頭部紅色，在前鰓蓋骨的邊緣上有一條垂直銀白色條紋，而在眼下另有一條斜紋。背鰭硬棘部黃色而有狹窄的紅色邊緣；尾鰭白色，上下葉各有一條靠近邊緣的紅色條紋，斑紋越往基部越擴大。

夜行性的礁區棲居動物。白天期間躲在深的裂隙中，而晚上漫遊礁區。 以小型甲殼動物、甲殼類幼生與小魚為食。

Sargocentron ensifer, or the yellow-striped squirrelfish, is a member of the family Holocentridae. It is native to the Pacific Ocean from southern Japan to New Caledonia, Hawaii and the Pitcairn Islands. It lives in deep reefs at depths between 0 and 64 metres (0 and 210 ft), hiding in crevices by day and foraging for food by night. It feeds on small fishes and crustaceans and can reach sizes of up to 23.0 centimetres (9.1 in) SL, though a length of 15.0 centimetres (5.9 in) TL is more common.