Genus: Apogon, Cardinalfishes, Common Cardinalfish

APOGON

CARDINALFISHES

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; teeth usually small, usually on center and sides of roof of mouth; preopercle with a smooth ridge before the serrated edge, lower membranous flap not extending beyond edge of preoperculum; 14-15 lower gill rakers; dorsal fin VI+I, 9; anal fin II, 8; pectoral 11-12 (rarely 13); inner pelvic ray mostly not attached to body; tail fin usually concave; body scales rough; scales present on center of nape before dorsal fin; lateral line with 23-45 pored scales, the last few on the tail fin; lateral line scales not larger than body scales; lateral line complete, extends onto base of tail fin; stomach and intestine pale.

Apogon is a circumtropical genus with over ~ 190 species; 16 species occur in the Greater Caribbean, 13 endemics and 3 W Atlantic.