Species: Ostichthys trachypoma, Bigeye Soldierfish

Ostichthys trachypoma (Gunther, 1859)

Bigeye Soldierfish

Body oblong, deep; mouth large, oblique; snout blunt, forehead slightly concave; a broad triangular groove on center of snout; bones on head rough and spiny; eye very large; no spines on bone under eye or at crescent shaped corner of preopercle; opercle with one strong spine at top corner that extends from a horizontal ridge; 25-35 gill rakers; dorsal fin XI + I, 12-14, continuous but deeply notched between last 2 spines; anal with IV spines, 3rd spine stoutest and longest, 10-12 rays; pelvics I, 7; tail base narrow in center, expanded behind; tail forked, tips of lobes angular; scales large, front margins straight, angular corners, exposed parts rough and ridged, ridges form short flattened spines on scale edges; 29-30 lateral line scales.

Red, with indistinct white stripes along side; dorsal fin membrane dark red.

Reaches 22 cm.

Lives on hard bottoms, like other soldierfishes.

Depth range: 37-550 m, usually below 200 m.

New York to NE Brazil.