Bigeye Soldierfish (Pristigenys alta)

The Bigeye Soldierfish or Pristigenys alta has a shorter body than most other species of Soldierfish.  This fish more than make up for that though with its EXTREMELY large eyes! They are normally orange or red, and sometimes have white highlight scattered on their bodies, with black on the tips of their fins. Also known simply as the Short Bigeye, these saltwater fish can be kept in an aquarium of 100 gallons or more. They fish can grow to about 1' in maximum length.

The Bigeye Soldierfish, like a lot of other fish, prefers to live in an environment with lots of hiding spots including caves, or rock formations. They can work great in reef aquariums as well, but be careful this fish is known to eat small crustaceans and smaller fish. If you have one of these fish already, you have probably notice that they are quite active at night, and pretty docile during the day. This nocturnal nature is the reason that they have such large eyes. You can see the Bigeye Soldierfish swimming underwater in the video below...

Bigeye Soldierfish are carnivores that should be fed brine shrimp, krill and other meaty foods. They prefer temperatures of 72 - 80F and a PH level of 8.0 - 8.4.