Sammara squirrelfish
Scientific classification
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N. sammara
Binomial name
Neoniphon sammara
Forsskål, 1775

Neoniphon sammara, the sammara squirrelfish, also known as the blood-spot squirrelfish, slender squirrelfish, spotfin squirrelfish, armed squirrel-fish or javelin squirrelfish, is a species squirrelfish found in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean from East Africa to the Hawaiian Islands.[2] It feeds on shrimps and small crabs and fish at night[1] and can grow up to 32.0 centimetres (12.6 in) TL in length, though its common length is only 23.0 centimetres (9.1 in) TL. Like N. opercularis, it has a venomous spine on its preopercle.[2]

Habitat

N. sammara lives alone or in small groups on seagrass beds and hard substrates in reef flats and lagoons. It can be found at depths between 0 and 46 metres (0 and 151 ft). Of its genus, it is the most likely to be found in shallow waters and it is often associated with Acropora corals,[2] which it will use as shelter during the day.[1]

Commercial use

N. sammara is not a commonly-eaten fish, but is common in the Indian aquarium trade. It can also be used as bait for tuna fisheries.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Williams, I. & Greenfield, D. (2016). "Neoniphon sammara". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2016: e.T67871355A115438968. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T67871355A67871880.en. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2016). "Neoniphon sammara" in FishBase. December 2016 version.


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