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Species Details

Details of Whitetip soldierfish will be displayed below

Whitetip soldierfi...   

Common Name: Whitetip soldierfish
Scientific Name: Myripristis vittata
Local Name: Hudhu Kothari Dhanbodu
Dhivehi Name: ހުދުކޮތަރިދަންބޮޑު
Animalia  (Kingdom)
Chordata  (Plylum)
Actinopterygii  (Class)
Beryciformes  (Order)
Holocentridae  (Family)
Myripristis   (Genus)

Whitetip soldierfish's description

Whitetip soldierfish (Myripristis vittata) is a soldierfish from the Indo-Pacific.

Short description - Dorsal spines (total): 11; Dorsal soft rays (total): 13-15; Anal spines: 4; Anal soft rays: 11 - 13. Interorbital space broad, 3.3-4.0 in head; inner pectoral axil naked; leading edges of median fins white (Ref 2334); lacks a dark opercular bar (except for perhaps a deeper red).

Colour - Body orange-red. No dark pigment on opercular membrane. Spiny dorsal red but with white tips. A bright red spot at pectoral fin base; pectorals red, other fins red with white leading edges.

Whitetip soldierfish's facts

Did you know?

  • The small, bright coloured Whitetip soldierfish (Myripristis vittata) is one of the commoner soldierfishes in the Maldives.
  • Whitetip soldierfish (Myripristis vittata) colouration is quite similar to that of Pinecone soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan) but it can be distinguished by the presence of white tips to the spiny dorsal, as well as its smaller body and scale size.

Whitetip soldierfish habitat

Myripristis vittata is a benthopelagic species that occurs in coral reef caves and ledges of steep drop-offs in large aggregations and sometimes in small groups (Kuiter and Tonozuka 2001, Mundy 2005, Allen 2009). It is a nocturnal plankton feeder.  The maximum recorded length for this species is 25 cm (Allen and Steene 1988, Randall and Greenfield 1996).

Whitetip soldierfish threats

There are no known major threats to this species.

Whitetip soldierfish's status