Species: Phaeoptyx xenus, Sponge cardinalfish

Phaeoptyx xenus (Bohlke & Randall, 1968)

Sponge 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, no canines, usually present on center and sides of roof of mouth; preopercle edge serrated; membraneous ventral preopercular flap extends beyond rear edge of preopercle; 20-22 gill rakers, 14 (rarely 13 or 15) lower 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.

Silvery, with bronze tones; snout yellowish; body covered with indistinct dark speckles of varying sizes, multiple speckles per scale, large in center of scale; faint (sometimes absent), narrow dark stripes along bases of dorsal and anal fins, no pale stripe between those and fin base; tail base with a vertical oval dark blotch.

Reaches 7.5 cm.

Lives on reefs; usually found in tubular sponges.

Depth range: 0-60 m.

The Gulf of Mexico to the S Caribbean.