Pinecone Fish

Monocentris japonica

Also known as: Japanese Pineapplefish • pineconefish • Dick bride-groom fish

Kingdom: Metazoa• Family: Monocentridae• Order: Trachichthyiformes

Pinecone fishes are small and unusual marine fish of the family Monocentridae. The family contains just five species in two genera, one of which is monotypic. Their distribution is limited to tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific. Pinecone fishes are popular subjects of public aquaria, but are both expensive and considered a challenge for the hobbyist to maintain.

📌 Life history

Pinecone fishes inhabit the sublittoral zone, and are associated with ledges and caves, rocky and (occasionally) coral reefs over a hard bottom. Found at 10–200 m deep (with juveniles frequenting the shallower end of this range), pinecone fishes are nocturnal and form schools. The photophores are thought to play a role in attracting the zooplankton upon which the fish feed; intraspecific communication may also be a use for the light. Little is known of their reproductive biology, but they are assumed not to guard their brood.

Quick Facts

Common Names:

Pinecone Fish, Japanese Pineapplefish, pineconefish, Dick bride-groom fish, Japanese pineapplefish, Knight fish, Knightfish, Pine sculpin, Pineapple fish, Pineapplefish, Pinecone fish, Pineconefish, Soldierfish, Japanese Pinecone-fish, Granaat Fish, Japanese Pineapple-fish, Japanese pineconefish, Pineapple-fish

Class:

Actinopteri

Data Completeness:

100%

Data Sources

🌍gbif

📚itis

📖wikipedia

🔬eol

🦎inaturalist

References

All references are verified for authenticity. We prioritize peer-reviewed studies, reputable databases (iNaturalist, GBIF), and established encyclopedias.

Distribution Statistics

Observations

Countries

Top Locations

香港石澳

South Pacific Ocean, Gisborne, NZ

대한민국 경상북도 울릉군

香港

moms bait reef Park Rynie, 4182, South Africa

Recent Observers

@ededwarddd

@josylai

@paritutu_beach_combe

@deach

@pufferfishwah

@seastung

First: 2/4/2013 · Latest: 2/1/2026

Data aggregates species content from multiple sources including Wikipedia, iNaturalist, GBIF, and ITIS. Content may transform over time. Wikipedia content is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.