Species: Apogon quadrisquamatus, Sawcheek cardinalfish

oblique dark triangle under eye
tail base: oval blotch

Apogon quadrisquamatus Longley, 1934
Sawcheek 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; jaws with bands of small teeth, no canines; front and sides of roof of mouth with a band of small teeth; preopercle strongly serrated at angle, lower membranous flap not extending beyond edge of preoperculum; 12-13 (rarely 14) lower gill rakers; dorsal fin VI+I, 9; anal fin II, 8; inner pelvic ray mostly not attached to body; pectoral 12; tail fin slightly concave; body scales rough; 3-8 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line scales not enlarged; lateral line complete, extends onto base of tail fin.
Head and body red, salmon or bronze; body finely speckled in black; a vertically elongate oval black spot at end of tail base that usually does not extend to the top and bottom of the tail base; often a triangular oblique dark bar down from eye; fins yellowish.
Reaches 7.8 cm.
Lives with anemones, sea urchins (Diadema) and sponges, on reefs, seagrass beds and rubble bottoms.
Depth: 1-107 m.
Georgia to Brazil.

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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- Corals
- Submerged vegetation
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- Water column
- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Sponges
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Sand & gravel
- Sea anemones
- Rocks
- Reef and soft bottom
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Planktivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Zooplankton
- Data
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Brooded
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- All species.
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends South of GC
- GC non-endemic
- Also in Brazil
- All species..
- Continent
- Island (s)
- Continent + Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Least concern
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 7.8
- Depth Range Min
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- 1
- Depth Range Max
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- 107