Bigscale Soldierfish, Myripristis berndti
Bigscale Soldierfish, Myripristis berndti. Fish caught from the Kailua-Kona fishing pier, Kona, Hawaii, February 2016. Length: 12.7 cm (5.0 inches). Catch and photograph courtesy of Kenneth Tse, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bigscale Soldierfish, Myripristis berndti. Fish caught from within Kealakekua Bay, Captain Cook, Hawaii, March 2019. Length: 18 cm (7.1 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Marc Eberlein, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Bigscale Soldierfish, Myripristis berndti. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters off Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, August 2014. Length: 28 cm (11 inches). Photograph courtesy of Bob Hillis, Ivins, Utah.
Bigscale Soldierfish, Myripristis berndti. Photograph taken within the confines of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona, February, 2022.
The Bigscale Soldierfish, Myripristis berndti, is a member of the Squirrelfish or Holocentridae Family, that is also known as the Blotch-eye Soldierfish and in Mexico as soldado azotado and candil ojo manchado. Globally, there are twenty-seven species in the genus Myripristis, of which four are found in Mexican waters, all in the Pacific Ocean.
The Bigscale Soldierfish has an oval, laterally compressed, and deep body. They have a red coloration overall and silvery-pink to pale yellow scales with red edges. Their first dorsal fin has a red base with orange-yellow margins. All their other fins are red with white margins and a dark submarginal streak. Their gill cover membranes are dark brown to black and located above the pectoral fin base. Their head has a blunt snout, a convex forehead, very large eyes, a large oblique mouth, and a protruding lower jaw. Their gill cover has 1 short spine. Their anal fin has 4 spines, the third being the stoutest, and 11 to 13 rays; their caudal fin is forked; and, their dorsal fin has 11 spines and 13 to 15 rays and is continuous and disproportionately large. They have 35 to 42 gill rakers. They are covered with large scales.
The Bigscale Soldierfish is a benthopelagic species found in aggregates of mixed species in and around coral reefs from the surface to depths up to 160 m (520 feet). They reach a maximum of 31 cm (12 inches) in length. As of January 1, 2023, the International Game Fish Association world record stood at 0.45 kg (1 lb 0 oz) with the fish caught in coastal waters off Oahu, Hawaii in July 2013. They are nocturnal and will take shelter in small caves within rock structures and under ledges during daylight hours. They are nocturnal predators that feed primarily on small crustaceans and large zooplankton. They are preyed upon by all types of larger fish and marine animals. Reproduction is believed to involve spawning in open waters with pelagic eggs and larvae settling out in several weeks. The Bigscale Soldierfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.
The Bigscale Soldierfish is a resident of Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean but they have a limited distribution being found only around the southern tip of Baja California Sur and around the oceanic islands.
The Bigscale Soldierfish can be confused with the Crimson Soldierfish, Myripristis leiognathus (dark red color), the Shy Soldier, Plectrypops lima (smaller eyes; deep oval body) and the Yellow Soldierfish, Myripristis clarionensis (yellow fins).
From a conservation perspective the Bigscale Soldierfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern, with stable, widely distributed populations. They are easily caught at night by hook and line and fished commercially. Although small in stature, they are considered an excellent food fish and are a mainstay in the diets of subsistence fishermen. They are prone to overfishing in some areas. They are sold fresh in some local markets. They are also popular home aquarium fish due to their availability, hardiness, and reasonable cost.