Species: Apogon townsendi, Belted Cardinalfish

Apogon townsendi (Breder, 1927)

Belted 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 serrated, lower membranous flap not extending beyond edge of preoperculum; 17 (rarely 16 or 18) lower gill rakers; dorsal fin VI + I, 9; anal fin II, 8; inner pelvic ray mostly not attached to body; pectoral 12; tail fin forked; body scales rough; 3-8 scales on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line scales not enlarged; scales around tail base 12; lateral line complete, extends onto base of tail fin.

Head and body pink, belly orangish; a thin black bar from end of base of dorsal fin to end of base of anal fin; 2 thin blackish bars (front one more prominent) at rear of tail base, area between those often dusky, even black.

Reaches 8.5 cm.

Lives on reefs; often with the sea urchin Diadema.

Depth: 3-55 m.

Bermuda to the S Caribbean.