Neoniphon aurolineatus (Liénard, 1839)

English Name: Gold-lined squirrelfish
Family: HOLOCENTRIDAE
Local Name: Ranrongu raivenmas
Order: Beryciformes
Size: Max. 22 cm
Specimen: MRS/0325/88

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Distinctive Characters: Dorsal fin with 11 spines and 12-14 rays. Anal fin with 4 spines and 8-9 (usually 9) rays. Pectoral fin with 13-15 rays. Last dorsal spine equal to or slightly shorter than the penultimate spine and further from it than the first ray. Lower jaw strongly projecting. 3½scale rows above lateral line to base of mid-dorsal spines. Lateral line scales 42-47.

Colour: Silvery pink with several yellow stripes on body. Spiny dorsal red and white.

Habitat and Biology: Occurs in coral reefs at depths greater than 40 m. Nocturnal.

Distribution: Indo-Pacific.

Remarks: Of the four species of Neoniphon found in the Maldives, Neoniphon aurolineatus is the deepest dwelling. This species is known from scattered insular localities.