Myripristis berndti
Big-eyed and red, hiding under Hawaii's ledges and Mauritius's reefs at Flic-en-Flac year-round in warm 25-29 C water.
Deep red to brick-coloured body with a large, dark, almost black eye that gives the species its name. Reaches around 21 cm, with a stocky, oval profile and spiny fins typical of soldierfish. Look for it hovering nose-in under overhangs and ledges rather than out in the open, often in loose groups with others of its kind.
Spend the day parked under ledges, in caves, or deep in reef crevices, often in loose clusters with other soldierfish, then fan out to feed on plankton and small invertebrates after dark. During the day they tend to hang nose-first into the shadows and barely react to divers unless a torch or hand gets close, making them an easy, low-key spot on ledge and cave dives.
Those oversized dark eyes are a giveaway that this is a nocturnal feeder, built for hunting in low light while it shelters from predators and daylight under reef structure during the day.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the sightings, and it's comfortable across a 24.7 to 29.2 C range, so it's a year-round find on tropical and subtropical reefs wherever it occurs.
Most reliably logged in Hawaii in the United States and around Flic-en-Flac in Mauritius, with strong showings at Cocos Island in Costa Rica and along Panama's Pacific Coast. Also turns up around Taveuni in Fiji, the Tuamotu Islands of French Polynesia, and Palau's Rock Islands, usually as an uncommon but steady find tucked under ledges and in caves.
Mapping where Blotcheye Soldierfish is logged…
Hawaii and Mauritius's Flic-en-Flac area are the most consistent spots, with good numbers also logged at Cocos Island in Costa Rica, Panama's Pacific coast, Taveuni in Fiji, and French Polynesia's Tuamotu Islands.
There's no strong season in the sightings data. They tolerate a wide 24.7 to 29.2 C range, so they're present on reefs year-round wherever they're found.
Look for a reddish, stocky fish around 21 cm long with an oversized dark eye, usually hovering under a ledge or cave entrance rather than swimming in open water.
They typically reach about 21 cm in length, a medium-sized reef fish that's easy to spot once you know to check under ledges and overhangs.
Those large eyes are adapted for low-light hunting. They shelter in shaded reef crevices by day and become active feeders on plankton and small invertebrates after dark.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Soldierfish
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