Sargocentron diadema, also known as the crowned squirrelfish, is a member of the family Holocentridae

Holocentridae

The Holocentridae is a family of ray-finned fish, belonging to the order Beryciformes with the members of the subfamily Holocentrinae typically known as squirrelfish, while the members of Myripristinae typically are known as soldierfish...

 of the order Beryciformes

Beryciformes

Beryciformes is an order of ray-finned fishes. This is a very poorly understood group of 16 families, 57 genera, and about 219 species. Some people believe that it is probably an artificial assemblage of unrelated taxa that are thrown together for convenience only; there are no convincing...

. Squirrelfish in general are large, active, nocturnal fish which are usually red in color.

Geographical distribution and habitat

Crowned squirrelfish are commonly found on reefs of the Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific

The Indo-Pacific is a biogeographic region of the Earth's seas, comprising the tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, the western and central Pacific Ocean, and the seas connecting the two in the general area of Indonesia...

, from East Africa

East Africa

East Africa or Eastern Africa is the easterly region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. In the UN scheme of geographic regions, 19 territories constitute Eastern Africa:...

 to Tahiti

Tahiti

Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...

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Distinctive features

A number of thin white lines cross the bright red body of this fish from the gill cover to the caudal peduncle. Two vertical white lines cross the gill cover. A third line runs along the upper lip and below the eye, which is large, indicating the nocturnal activity of the family.

Aquarium care

Being active, they need a large, spacious aquarium. They are also shoaling fishes and benefit from being kept in the company of their own kind. Any small fishes in the aquarium may be intimidated by the boisterousness of the squirrelfishes so keep them only with other similarly sized fishes. Offer this carnivorous fish a variety of meaty foods. They will take small fish as well, so choose their tankmates accordingly.

Temperature, pH, and salinity

Crown squirrelfish are best kept at temperatures between 72-78F (22-26C). pH should be kept between 8.1-8.4. Salinity: 1.020-1.025