Species: Phaeoptyx pigmentaria, Dusky Cardinalfish

Phaeoptyx pigmentaria (Poey, 1860)

Dusky Cardinalfish

Body oblong, compressed; head large, snout short, rounded; eye large; moderately large oblique mouth that opens at the front; top jaw wide, partly concealed when mouth is closed, scaleless; teeth small, some enlarged teeth at front of top jaws and sides of lower jaws, usually present on center and sides of roof of mouth; preopercle edge serrated; membraneous ventral preopercular flap extends beyond rear edge of preopercle; 11-12 (rarely 13) lower gill rakers; dorsal fin VI +I, 9; anal fin II, 8; pectoral fin rays 11-12 (rarely 13); inner pelvic ray connected to body along most or all of its length; tail usually concave; body scales rough; a row of scales on centerline before dorsal fin; 23-45 pored lateral line scales; lateral line complete, extends onto base of tail fin.

Pinkish to bronze; snout with yellowish cast; a dark bar under eye; head and body covered with even-sized, evenly spaced, dark speckles, one per scale; sometimes spots on cheeks and operculum are distinctly larger than those on body; a dark bar across entire tail base, its front edge usually straight; no dark stripes (but sometimes 1-2 rows of dark dots) along bases of dorsal and anal fins.

Reaches 8 cm.

Lives on reefs.

Depth range: 0-55 m.

Bermuda to Brazil; the E Atlantic.