Blacktip soldierfish
Myripristis hexagona
- Usual depth2–30 m
- Water temperature23–30 °C
- Best monthsMay, July, and November
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Rickard Zerpe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
About this species
Myripristis hexagona, the doubletooth soldierfish, is a nocturnal species of soldierfish from the genus Myripristis. It is light red to yellowish in colour, and grows to a maximum length of 30 cm. It can be found in the Indo-Pacific region, from East Africa to Samoa, north to the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, and south to the Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia. However, it has not been found on low islands or atolls in the Indo-Pacific region. It is found at depths of 3–40 metres and inhabits sheltered coastal and offshore reefs, typically in turbid areas of bays or lagoons. During the day, it hides in caves or beneath ledges, while at night, it feeds on plankton. It can be found in loose aggregations, sometimes with other species of soldierfish.
Text from the Wikipedia article “Myripristis hexagona”, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Read the article
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 20 records
- February: 10 records
- March: 24 records
- April: 18 records
- May: 40 records
- June: 20 records
- July: 31 records
- August: 21 records
- September: 20 records
- October: 31 records
- November: 46 records
- December: 17 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 2–30 m · Deepest record: 360 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 23–30 °C
Photos
(c) Rickard Zerpe, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Donald Davesne, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ewout Knoester, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ditch Townsend, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Blacktip soldierfish, blacktip soldierfish, Doubletooth Soldierfish, Large-scale Soldierfish, Pale Soldierfish, Red-fin Squirrelfish
Names in 1 more languages
- Japanese
- Marumatsukasa, マルマツカサ
Other scientific names: Lutjanus hexagonus, Myripristes hexagonus, Myripristis hexagonatus, Myripristis hexagonus, Myripristis macrolepis, Ostichthys spiniceps
Similar species
Bigscale soldierfishMyripristis berndti
Shadowfin soldierfishMyripristis adusta
Brick SoldierfishMyripristis amaena
Pearly soldierfishMyripristis kuntee
Blotcheye soldierfishMyripristis murdjan
Australian Squirrel-fishMyripristis violacea
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Descriptions: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA, each linked to its article.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 400 open-data records from 1802 to 2023.
- Species data updated October 30, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.