Redcoat Squirrelfish

Sargocentron rubrum, commonly referred to as the redcoat, belongs to the family Holocentridae within the order Beryciformes. Squirrelfish, in general, are characterized by their large size, active behavior, nocturnal habits, and typically red coloration.

The redcoat is distributed across the vast Indo-Pacific region, extending from the 🌊 Red Sea to the Western Pacific. Its range includes areas from southern 🇯🇵 Japan to 🇳🇨 New Caledonia (🇫🇷 Overseas France), New South Wales (🇦🇺 Australia), and, more recently, 🇹🇴 Tonga. Since the mid-20th century, this species has been observed in the Levantine waters of the Mediterranean Sea, having entered through the Suez Canal (🇪🇬 Egypt). It is now prevalent throughout the entire eastern basin of the Mediterranean.