Apogon quadrisquamatus
Sawcheek Cardinalfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Apogonidae (Cardinalfishes)
Apogon
Apogon quadrisquamatus (Sawcheek Cardinalfish)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Jaws, vomer, and palatine have narrow bands of villiform teeth. Preopercular ridge is smooth, and posterior margin of preoperculum is strongly serrated and rounded at angle, with fleshy posteroventral process not extending beyond its serrated margin. Gill rakers on first arch number 3 on upper limb and 12 to 14 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 34%–41%, snout length 6%–8%, eye diameter 11%–12%, upper jaw length 22%–23%, caudal peduncle length 19%–22%, body depth 32%–34%. Pectoral fin has 12 rays, first dorsal fin has six slender spines, second dorsal fin has one spine and 9 rays, and anal fin has two spines and 8 rays. Caudal fin is slightly emarginate. Scales are ctenoid and deciduous. Predorsal scales number 3 to 5 (usually 4), and circumpeduncular scales number 16 or 18.
Color is translucent pale orange to deep red and peppered with small melanophores, with black smudge on caudal peduncle. Fins are yellowish.
Distribution
Western Atlantic from southern Florida and the Bahamas to southern Brazil, including the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
Habitat Associations
Coral reefs and over grass flats and sand and rubble bottoms, in 12 to 60 m depth.
Associated with Diadema sea urchins, sea anemones, and long tubular sponges.
Biology
Feeding takes place on or near reefs at night.
Maximum known size is 58.2 mm SL.
Found on coral, sand, or gravel bottoms. Sometimes associates with sea anemones, possibly as shelter from predators; it also lives in tubular sponges (Ref. 26938, 45560).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; bearers (external brooders). Mouthbrooders (Ref. 240). Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning (Ref. 205).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2011-03-10. Resilience: High (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished by dark smudge on caudal peduncle but no black spot or bar below posterior part of second dorsal fin.
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1940
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Böhlke and Randall 1968
Randall 1968a
Randall 1996
Williams and Shipp 1980
Robins and Ray 1986
Cervigón 1993b
Gilbert and Tyler 1997
Smith 1997
Gon 2002a
Thresher, R.E. (1984) Reproduction in reef fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Inc. Ltd., Neptune City, New Jersey. 399 p.
Robins, C.R. and G.C. Ray (1986) A field guide to Atlantic coast fishes of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, U.S.A. 354 p.
Cervigón, F. (1993) Los peces marinos de Venezuela. Volume 2. Fundación Científica Los Roques, Caracas,Venezuela. 497 p.
Smith, C.L. (1997) National Audubon Society field guide to tropical marine fishes of the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, Florida, the Bahamas, and Bermuda. Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., New York. 720 p.
Hixon, M. (1993) Predation, prey refuges, and the structure of coral-reef fish assemblages. Ecol. Monogr. 63(1):77-101.
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