Squirrelfish

Although we are pretty unlikely to see a squirrelfish on a snorkel, I included squirrelfish in the fish coloring book partly because I thought it might be a fun fish to color, but mostly because it is my husbands favorite fish. He loves trying to spot their huge eyes peeking out from under ledges or catch a glimpse of their flowy tails flashing bright pink from within crevices.

You can read about this project in the post “A Fish Journal for a six-year-old” and you can see all the posts for this project using the tag “Fish Coloring Book“.

Squirrelfish get their name because of their huge squirrel-like eyes and the rear dorsal fin that sticks up similar to a squirrel tail. During the day, they like to hide out under rocks and in crevices. At night, they become much more active as they forage for their favorite food – shrimps and crabs.

They are solitary fish that defend their territory from other squirrelfish by shaking their heads, grunting, and sometimes even lunging and nipping at each other.

Unless you are out on a night snorkel or dive, you’ll have to look hard to find these fish because they are fairly shy and mostly hidden during the day. If you’re very lucky, you might see a bit of pink fin or a huge round eye peeking out at you.