Beryciformes

Beryciformes are the nocturnal hunters, such as Squirrelfish and Soldierfish. They are commonly encountered during night dives, however they can also be seen through the day. They are often hiding in caves and crevices, or lurking in the shadows of shipwrecks. Since they hunt at night, they have large eyes, which are either red, orange, or black in colour. They also have large, spiny scales, a single dorsal fin, often protected with a spine and a large, forked tail.

Berycliformes are in oceans worldwide, including the deep oceans. Some species are even bio-luminescent! There are 7 families and 163 species in this group and you can find a list of the ones present on The Great Barrier Reef, below.^1,2,3

Family – A lower level of taxonomic classification, grouping together species that show many similarities

Anomalopidae – Flashlightfish

 Holocentridae – Squirrelfish and Soldierfish