Fish
Jointed Razorfish
Aeoliscus strigatusAlso known as Coral Shrimpfish, Striped Shrimpfish, Grooved Shrimpfish
Jointed razorfish are easily recognized by their knife-thin bodies and distinct habit of swimming synchronized in a vertical, head-down posture. Schools drift effortlessly among the needle-sharp spines of sea urchins or soft coral branches, matching their slender silhouettes perfectly to avoid open-water hunters. When startled, the entire group shifts direction in an instant, darting away horizontally before resuming their hypnotic upside-down hover.
Reef FishCamouflagedSchooling
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyCopepods, Mysid Shrimp, Amphipods
Predators
- Groupers
- Moray Eels
- Lizardfish
ThreatsCoral reef degradation, seagrass loss, and collection for the aquarium trade
HabitatsShallow coral reefs, seagrass beds, and sheltered bays
Life span3–5 years
Classification
- OrderSyngnathiformes
- FamilyCentriscidae
- GenusAeoliscus
- SpeciesAeoliscus strigatus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Search Near Urchins: Scan clusters of long-spined sea urchins where schools congregate head-down for safety.
- Minimize Fin Movement: Hover gently when viewing, as turbulent water currents readily scatter the school.
Shelter Host (c) Quartl, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Same Order "Common seahorse (Hippocampus taeniopterus)" by Lorèn is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Close Relative (c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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