Sargocentron hastatum
Uncommon but reliable in Sal and São Vicente, Cape Verde, this red reef fish hides in crevices year-round in 16 to 25 C water.
A reddish-orange body with faint silvery stripes running lengthwise gives this fish away at a glance, along with the oversized dark eyes typical of squirrelfish. It grows to around 20 cm and holds a slim, spiny-finned profile, usually seen hovering nose-first near a ledge or crevice rather than out in the open. The dorsal fin carries sharp spines, so it is best admired without a grabby hand nearby.
Expect to find it tucked into a crevice, ledge, or overhang by day, often facing outward with just its eyes and snout visible. Like most squirrelfish it becomes more active after dark, feeding along the reef edge, but daytime divers mostly get a still, watchful look rather than open swimming. It tends to hold its position when approached slowly, only darting deeper into cover if pressed.
Those large eyes are a giveaway that this is primarily a nocturnal feeder, built for low-light foraging over the reef after most divers have surfaced.
Sightings show no clear seasonal pattern, so it is a year-round prospect on these reefs. The observed water temperature range of 16.2 to 25.4 C spans most of the year in Cape Verde and Senegal, so there is no need to time a trip around it.
Cape Verde is by far the strongest spot for this fish, with sightings concentrated around São Vicente and Sal, and a smaller cluster off Santo Antão. Senegal's Dakar region also turns up regular sightings, making the wider Cape Verde and Senegal coastline the core range for divers hoping to tick this one off.
Mapping where Red Squirrelfish is logged…
Cape Verde is the most reliable place, especially around São Vicente and Sal, with Santo Antão also producing sightings. Senegal's Dakar region is another solid option along the same stretch of West African coast.
There is no strong seasonal pattern, so any time of year works. Water temperatures in its range run from 16.2 to 25.4 C, keeping it present on Cape Verde and Senegal reefs throughout the year.
Look for a reddish-orange body with faint silvery stripes, large dark eyes, and spiny fins, typically seen tucked into a crevice or ledge rather than swimming in the open.
They reach around 20 cm in length, a modest size that fits neatly into the small reef crevices and ledges they favour for shelter.
At most sites where it occurs it is logged as uncommon rather than common, so spotting one usually takes a bit of deliberate crevice-checking rather than a chance encounter mid-water.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Soldierfish
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