Species: Astrapogon alutus, Bronze Cardinalfish

Astrapogon alutus (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)

Bronze Cardinalfish

Body oblong, compressed; head large, snout short; rear nostril round; eye large; moderately large oblique mouth that opens at the front; top jaw wide, partly concealed when mouth is closed, scaleless; teeth small, usually present on center and sides of roof of mouth; lower gill rakers 11 (9-12); preopercle edge smooth; dorsal fin VI +I, 9; anal fin II, 8; pectoral fin rays 14 (rarely 13 or 15); inner pelvic ray mostly not attached to body; pelvics not reaching beyond 3rd anal fin ray; tail fin bluntly straight to slightly convex; 23-45 pored lateral line scales; lateral line complete, extends onto base of tail fin; body scales smooth; no row of scales on nape centerline before dorsal fin.

Head and body silvery brown to dark brown, with dark pepperspots; pelvic dusky, often black tipped.

Reaches 6.5 cm.

Found in seagrass beds and tube sponges, but not in live conchs.

Depth range: 1-229 m.

Northern Gulf of Mexico to the S Caribbean.