本種は大西洋だけに分布。西部大西洋の他の1種 H. rufus は背鰭棘部の鰭膜の先端部が白色であり,上顎の後端が瞳孔の中央下を越えず,有孔側線鱗数が51〜54枚であることにより本種と区別される。 (上野・佐藤)
Distinctive characters:
(Subfamily): Angle of preopercle with a long spine. Anal soft rays 7〜10. (Genus): Anterior soft dorsal and upper caudal fin lobe elongated. Lower jaw not markedly profecting beyond upper jaw. Last dorsal spine shortest, not close to 1st dorsal soft ray. (Species):Tip of membranes of spinous dorsal fin redish or translucent, not whitish. Posterior margin of upper jaw reaching to posterior margin of pupil. Upper jaw lenght 13.7〜15.3% of SL.
Distribution:
From North Carolina, Bermuda, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, to Brazil. Also islands of tropical South Atlantic, as Trinidad, St. Helena and Ascension.
Remarks:
Holocentrus is confined to Atlantic Ocean. H. rufus is destinguishable from this species by tip of membranes of spinous dorsal fin being whitish and posterior margin of upper jaw not extending beyond center of pupil. (Uyeno and Sato)