Genus: Phaeoptyx, Cardinalfishes, Cardinalfish

PHAEOPTYX

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 small, no canines, usually present on center and sides of roof of mouth; preopercle with a smooth ridge before serrated edge; membraneous ventral preopercular flap extends beyond rear edge of preopercle; 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.

An Atlantic genus with 3 species, 2 endemic to the Greater Caribbean and 1 trans-Atlantic that is present in our region.