Also Known As: Blackbar Soldierfish, Big Eye Squirrelfish

Compatibility and Behavior
The Big Eye Soldierfish (Myripristis jacobus) is a deep-bodied, nocturnal fish in rich orange-red to deep crimson fading to silvery white along the belly, and its namesake feature is the bold dark bar running down the rear edge of the gill cover to the base of the pectoral fin. Every fin but the pectorals is finished with a crisp white to pale blue margin. Those enormous dark eyes are the giveaway to its lifestyle, gathering enough light to hunt in near darkness, and as a curious note it's occasionally seen swimming upside down beneath ledges. By day it shelters under overhangs and inside caves, often gathering in loose aggregations with other soldierfish and squirrelfish, then emerges after dark to feed on drifting zooplankton, so a new arrival commonly stays tucked away for the first week before gradually growing bolder. It's coral safe and won't touch sessile inverts, but it's reef safe with caution, since it will likely eat ornamental shrimp, small crustaceans, worms including fireworms, serpent stars, and any fish small enough to swallow. It pairs well with larger peaceful to semi-aggressive tankmates like tangs, angelfish, larger wrasses, and groupers, while very small gobies, firefish, and cleaner shrimp are best avoided. It can be kept in a group of three or more if introduced together with enough separate caves, though some jostling for the best dwelling is normal. Two handling notes: skip nets entirely, since the large eyes are easily damaged and the head spines tangle in mesh, and the preopercular spines near the gill opening are venomous.

Aquarium Requirements
The small to medium specimens usually available do well in a 70 to 100 gallon tank, though this species grows to a solid adult size and a group will want 125 gallons or more, so plan the footprint accordingly. Aquascaping is the single most important element: provide generous live rock built into deep caves, ledges, and shaded overhangs so each fish can claim a daytime retreat, paired with open water for evening cruising. Subdued lighting suits it best, and since it comes from dim environments, it helps to start new arrivals with the lights dimmed and raise intensity gradually over several days rather than dropping them into a brightly lit reef. Moderate, well-oxygenated flow works nicely. Getting them eating is usually straightforward, but feeding after lights-out is the most reliable approach early on, and live saltwater feeder shrimp or live brine will almost always trigger a response before transitioning to frozen. Since they're plankton feeders in the wild, foods that drift in the water column are taken more readily than items on the sand. 

Specifications
Approximate Size: 2–3.5"
Diet: Carnivore; frozen mysis, krill, and enriched brine shrimp plus chopped shrimp, squid, clam, and marine fish flesh, with live feeder shrimp useful for initial feeding, offered 1–2 times daily
Origin: Western and Eastern Atlantic
Care Level: Easy
Reef Safe: With caution
Temperament: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 70 gallons
Special Considerations: Coral safe but reef safe with caution, as it will may eat ornamental shrimp, small crustaceans, worms, serpent stars, and very small fish. Has venomous preopercular spines and delicate eyes, so move it in a container rather than a net.