---
title: Yellowtip Soldierfish (Myripristis xanthacra)
scientific_name: Myripristis xanthacra
common_name: Yellowtip Soldierfish
taxon: Squirrelfishes
published: 2024-10-27T13:32:05.506Z
updated: 2026-08-08T10:56:28.201Z
tags: Yellowtip Soldierfish, Myripristis xanthacra, Squirrelfishes, Red Sea, Marine Life, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/squirrelfishes/yellowtip-soldierfish
---

# Yellowtip Soldierfish (*Myripristis xanthacra*)

## Quick facts

- **Group:** Squirrelfishes (*Holocentrinae*)
- **Size:** 15 cm
- **Depth:** 18-40 m
- **Diet:** Planktivore
- **Activity:** Nocturnal
- **Habitat:** Reef flats and slopes
- **Reproduction:** Broadcast spawner, Gonochoric

## How to recognise it

- yellow tips on dorsal, anal and caudal fins

Myripristis xanthacra, the Yellowtip Soldierfish, is a deep-bodied, laterally compressed fish with large eyes and a prominent, slightly oblique mouth. Its body is typically reddish-pink to silvery-red, paling to white ventrally. A key distinguishing feature is the bright yellow tips on the lobes of the soft dorsal, anal, and caudal fins. The spinous dorsal fin has 10 spines, followed by 13-15 soft rays, while the anal fin has 4 spines and 11-13 soft rays. It reaches a maximum length of 25 cm (9.8 in), though individuals are commonly observed between 15 and 20 cm. The scientific name xanthacra is derived from Greek, meaning "yellow-tipped", directly describing this characteristic fin coloration.

This species inhabits reef flats, slopes, and drop-offs, typically found at depths between 5 and 30 m (16-98 ft), often encountered below 18 m (59 ft) in deeper, sheltered areas. During the day, it forms dense aggregations, sheltering in caves, beneath ledges, or within large crevices. It is a nocturnal predator, dispersing at night to feed on zooplankton such as copepods and larval crustaceans, along with small benthic invertebrates. The Yellowtip Soldierfish is endemic to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, found primarily in the southern half of the Red Sea and off Djibouti.

## Also known as

- **English:** yellowtip soldierfish
- **Portuguese:** Peixe-soldado-de-ponta-amarela
- **Russian:** Аденский кандиль
- **CA:** Peix soldat del Mar Roja

## Scientific synonyms

- *Myripristis xanthacrus* Randall & Guézé, 1981

## Range

Djibouti, Eritrea, Red Sea

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*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/taxon/fishes/bony-fishes/squirrelfishes/yellowtip-soldierfish)*
*Updated: August 8, 2026*