TankBud

Blackbar soldierfish

Myripristis jacobus

Also known as Blackbar squirrelfish, Jacob's soldierfish, Blackbar soldier, Atlantic soldierfish

SaltwaterFish

Blackbar soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus)
Pauline Walsh Jacobson · CC BY 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
73–81°F
23–27°C
pH
8.0–8.4
Adult size
8.7 in
22 cm
Minimum tank
79 gal
300 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Holocentridae
Origin
Native to the western and eastern Atlantic, sheltering in reef caves and under ledges by day and feeding on plankton at night.

Overview

The blackbar soldierfish is a red Atlantic reef fish for a large saltwater tank with plenty of caves. It is one of the hardier nocturnal reef fish and easy to keep.

Did you know

The blackbar soldierfish's deep red color works as camouflage at depth. Seawater filters out red light first, so in the dim caves where it hides, the bright red fish looks nearly black.

Caring for the blackbar soldierfish

Keep a blackbar soldierfish, or a small group, in at least 79 gal (300 L). Build plenty of caves and shaded overhangs into the rockwork for it to shelter in.

Hold the water at 73 to 81°F (23 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.0 to 8.4. It adapts well to aquarium food. Feed meaty foods such as mysis, krill and chopped seafood, preferably in the evening.

The blackbar soldierfish is mostly peaceful, and it does fine alone or in a group of its own kind. It leaves corals alone but will eat very small shrimp and fish. Treat it as reef safe with caution around tiny inverts.

Good to know

The blackbar soldierfish is a rounded red fish in the family Holocentridae, with a dark bar just behind the gill cover. Its large dark eyes are an adaptation to a nocturnal life. It can make clicks and grunts with its swim bladder. It also goes by blackbar squirrelfish, Jacob's soldierfish and Atlantic soldierfish.

In the wild

The blackbar soldierfish lives on reefs in the western and eastern Atlantic. By day it packs into caves and under ledges, often in groups. At night it rises off the reef to feed on plankton, picking drifting animals out of the water.

Common questions

What size tank does a blackbar soldierfish need?

A blackbar soldierfish needs at least 79 gal (300 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a blackbar soldierfish need?

A blackbar soldierfish is comfortable at 73–81°F (23–27°C) with a pH of 8.0–8.4.

What does a blackbar soldierfish eat?

A blackbar soldierfish eats meaty foods such as mysis, krill and chopped seafood, best offered in the evening. It will also eat very small shrimp and fish.

How big does a blackbar soldierfish get?

An adult blackbar soldierfish reaches about 8.7 in (22 cm).

Related species