Red, large-eyed and always under a ledge; one of several near-identical soldierfishes.
To about 27 cm, red to red-orange with each scale dark-edged, a very large eye, and a dark red-brown bar behind the gill cover. The genus contains several species that are difficult to separate underwater; the combination of the dark gill bar, white leading edges to the fins and the absence of a long dorsal spine places this one. Squirrelfishes of the genus Sargocentron are the other confusion and carry a strong preopercular spine and a longer snout.
Groups shelter under ledges, in caves and inside wreck structure through the day, facing outward and hanging almost motionless, and move into open water at night to take large zooplankton. Soldierfishes produce audible clicks and grunts with the swim bladder, and a disturbed group is often heard as well as seen. Recorded from about 3 to 40 m.
Ratings are per location: 1 means found on most dives that look for it, 5 means a handful of records. Where enough dives have been logged the figure is calculated from them; otherwise it is an editorial estimate, and says so. We publish habitat and destination, not the dive site.