Brownspot Squirrelfish

Body with dark brown to brownish red stripes, alternating with silvery white stripes. The upper 2 dark stripes often ending in an elongate dark brown spot at the base of the soft portion of the dorsal fin; the third curving downward to end at mid-base of caudal fin; the 4th ending just before the caudal peduncle; the 5th and 6th stripes converging posteriorly on lower edge of caudal peduncle; 7th and 8th ending in a dark blotch at the rear base of soft part of anal fin. Four oblique scale rows on cheek; body depth 2.6-2.8 in SL; head length (HL) 2.65-2.9 in SL; short and blunt snout, length 4.4-5.1 in HL; interorbital width 3.9-4.4 in HL; mouth terminal to slightly inferior, maxilla often extending to below center of the eye, upper jaw length 2.35-2.55 in HL; premaxillary groove often reaching above anterior edge of orbit; anterior end of nasal bone ending in a spine; surface or medial edge of nasal bone spineless; nasal fossa without spinules (occasionally large specimens with one spinule on anterior edge of fossa); upper edge of first suborbital bone with a slightly retrorse lateral spine, followed by a low ridge of recumbent spinules; preopercular spine 1.5-2.2 in orbit diameter, 3.7-5.8 in HL; 3rd-5th dorsal spines subequal, the longest 1.85-2.2 in HL; 3rd anal spine 1.25-1.5 in HL (Ref. 27370).

Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 12 - 13; Analspines: 4; Analsoft rays: 8 - 9

Found in inshore waters. Nocturnal species (Ref. 75154).

Inhabits reef flats and shallow protected reefs, often in dead reef areas (Ref. 9710). Secretive during the day (Ref. 37816).

fisheries: minor commercial; price category: medium; price reliability: very questionable: based on ex-vessel price for species in this family

分布於印度-西太平洋區，由東非南至莫三比克起，東至馬紹爾群島，北至臺灣、日本南部，南至澳洲。臺灣分布於東北部、北部、西南部、東部、南部、小琉球及綠島等海域。

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。下頜不突出於上頜。前上頜骨的凹槽大約達眼窩的前緣上方；鼻骨的前緣末端有ㄧ棘；鼻窩沒有小刺。前鰓蓋骨後下角具ㄧ強棘；眶下骨上緣有側突的小棘。體被大型櫛鱗；側線完全，側線鱗數 33-36(34)，側線至背鰭硬棘中間點之鱗片數 2.5；頰上具4列斜鱗。鰓耙數 6-8 + 10-12 = 16-20。背鰭連續，單一，硬棘部及軟條部間具深凹，具硬棘 X-I，軟條 12-13(13)；最後一根硬棘短於前一根硬棘。臀鰭有硬棘 IV，軟條 8-(9)；胸鰭軟條 13-16(14) ；尾鰭深叉形。具深褐色至紅褐色與銀白色斑紋交互的體側；通常在體背側的3-4條斑紋顏色深而顯著，下方之斑紋較不顯著。最上面的 2 條深褐色斑紋通常在背鰭的軟條部的基底末端相連而形成一個細長的深褐色的斑點；第三條彎曲向下而結束於尾鰭的基底中點，第 四條終止於尾柄; 第五 與第六條斑紋在尾柄的下緣向上而合為一；第 七 與第 八 在臀鰭的軟條部的後面基底末端形成一個另ㄧ暗色斑塊。背鰭的硬棘部鰭膜全為紅褐色，中央具似三角形白色寬班紋且止於棘末端，膜頂部亦為白色，第I至第II棘膜間紅褐色班紋深且大；臀鰭最大棘區為深紅色；胸鰭基軸無黑斑；腹鰭僅前面硬棘與第一軟條間之鰭膜是深紅色至紅褐色。

主要棲息於礁石平臺與水淺且有遮蔽礁區，亦常見於死珊瑚礁區域中。白天躲躲藏藏於礁區間，來回不停的游動，休息的處所並不十分隱密，晚上則尋找底棲蝦蟹及甲殼類等食物。

Sargocentron praslin, the dark-striped squirrelfish, is a species of squirrelfish belonging to the genus Sargocentron. It can be found in the Indian Ocean and the West Pacific Ocean, from East Africa south to Mozambique and east to the Marshall Islands excluding the northern Marshall Islands and the Society Islands. It has also been introduced into Libya, Turkey and Cyprus and may also possibly be found in Egypt and Greece. It inhabits reef flats and shallow protected reefs, often in dead reef areas. It is secretive during the day.

Inhabits shallow water, more often in coral reefs.