Species: Paroncheilus affinis, Bigtooth Cardinalfish

lower jaw strongly projects
Paroncheilus affinis (Poey, 1875)
Bigtooth Cardinalfish
Body oblong, compressed; head large, snout short; eye large; moderately large oblique mouth that opens at the front; top jaw wide, partly concealed when mouth is closed, scaleless; lower jaw strongly projecting; both jaws with a row of small teeth interspersed with several canines, front of roof of mouth with several short canines, sides of roof of mouth with a band of small teeth; preopercle serrated, lower membranous flap not extending beyond edge of preoperculum; 14 (13-15) lower gill rakers; dorsal fin VI+I, 9; anal fin II, 9; pectoral 12 (rarely 13); inner pelvic ray mostly not attached to body; tail fin usually concave; body scales smooth to weakly rough; scales present on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line with ~24 pored scales, the last few on the tail fin; lateral line scales not larger than body scales; lateral line complete, extends onto base of tail fin.
Translucent salmon to bronze; lower head and belly silvery; an indistinct dark stripe from top of mouth through eye to top corner of operculum; tail may have a dark rear edge
Reaches 11 cm.
Reefs.
Depth range: 15-300 m, usually 20-90 m.
E and W Atlantic; the Gulf of Mexico to Suriname.
Note: Mouthbrooding is done by both sexes rather than just males.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine
- Marine Only
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Bottom + water column
- Mid Water
- Near Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef only
- Rocks
- Water column
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Data
- Planktivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Zooplankton
- Egg Type
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- Brooded
- Data
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Transatlantic (East+West Atlantic)
- Regional Endemism
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- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Island (s)
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 11
- Depth Range Min
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- 15
- Depth Range Max
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- 300