| Family: |
Apogonidae (Cardinalfishes), subfamily: Apogoninae |
| Max. size: |
12.6 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 23.2 g |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; marine; depth range 10 - 30 m |
| Distribution: |
Indo-West Pacific: east coast of Africa south to Durban, and eastward to the Gulf of Oman, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Taiwan, and Queensland. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 8-8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 15-17. Color in life silver gray, translucent on body, variable amount of bright yellow pigment on head and body, most commonly on snout, jaws and throat; side of snout sometimes with dark dots; black caudal spot pupil size or smaller; fins pale; diffuse orange stripe above anal-fin base. Rays: dorsal rays VII,9; anal II,15-17 (usually 16); pectoral 14 (rarely 13 or 15). Lateral line scales 25 + 3-4; median predorsal scales 5-6 (rarely 5). Gill rakers 5-7 + 15-18. Body depth 2.6-3.2 in SL; body width 2.2-2.8 in depth; eye diameter 2.7-4.4 in HL; first dorsal spine 1.1-1.4 in second spine; second dorsal spine 2.2-3.0; third dorsal spine 2.3-3.0 in HL; spine of second dorsal fin 2.6-3.1, and second anal spine 3.4-4.5 in HL; pelvic-fin length 4.5-5.8, and caudal-peduncle length 4.5-5.4 in SL. Distance from insertion of pelvic spine to anal-fin origin 4.5-5.7 in SL. Preopercular edge smooth except for serrae at angle and on posterior half of ventral edge. Scaly sheath along anal-fin base poorly developed. |
| Biology: |
Found in coastal, mangrove zones and thought to enter rivers, but also found with shipwrecks in deeper water laying on muddy substrates (Ref. 48635); also on reefs, over sandy and muddy bottoms in silty conditions (Ref. 54391) Forms aggregations that hover above rocky outcrops (Ref 90102). Feeds on fish eggs and larvae, shrimps, and pelagic polychaetes (Ref. 31551). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 14 August 2023 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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