Erythrocles acarina

<em>Erythrocles acarina</em> is a saltwater fish belonging to the family Emmelichthyidae, the rovers or redbait fishes, a family of open-water marine fishes distributed across tropical and subtropical seas of the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic. This species typically reaches a maximum length of approximately 8.9 cm and has been documented at depths ranging from approximately 138 to 300 meters, indicating an affinity for mesopelagic and deeper shelf-edge or upper slope habitats. Emmelichthyidae is characterized by elongate, fusiform body forms adapted for sustained swimming in the pelagic and benthopelagic zones, often with a reddish or silvery coloration that provides countershading or disruptive effects in open water. <em>Erythrocles acarina</em> inhabits tropical marine waters across its Indo-Pacific range, where it is typically associated with the water column over deeper shelf and slope environments. Members of the family are generally schooling fishes that feed on zooplankton, small crustaceans, and other small invertebrates filtered or captured from the water column. Some emmelichthyid species support commercial and recreational fisheries in parts of their range, valued for both food and bait purposes. The relatively small size of <em>Erythrocles acarina</em> and its preference for moderate depths make it less accessible to shallow-water fisheries but potentially vulnerable to midwater trawls targeting deeper assemblages. Details of broader habitat and range for this species remain limited in the ichthyological literature.