Epigonus pandionis
No common name
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Epigonidae (Deepwater Cardinalfishes)
Epigonus
Epigonus pandionis
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
Head is of moderate length. Snout is moderately short and blunt. Maxilla extends to anterior two-fifths to one-half of eye length. Teeth are small, conical, and occasionally recurved, and occur in one or more rows in jaws and palatine and in two chevron-like clumps in vomer. Tongue lacks teeth. Preopercular angle is moderately produced and broadly rounded. Opercular spine is below two to five poorly ossified spinelets and is separated from spinelets by gap. Gill rakers are awl-like and number 26 to 30 on first arch. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 33%–39%, head depth 19%–22%, interorbital width 9%–12%, caudal peduncle length 22%–26%, body depth 22%–30%; and as percent of head length: eye diameter 37%–49%. Pectoral fin has 17 to 19 rays. First dorsal has seven (rarely eight) spines, and second dorsal fin has one spine and 10 rays (rarely one spine and 9 rays, one spine and 11 rays, or two spines and 10 rays). Anal fin has two spines and 9 rays (rarely two spines and 8 rays or two spines and 10 rays). Lateral line scales number 46 to 49. Pyloric caecae number 10 to 13. Vertebrae number 25: 10 precaudal and 15 caudal.
Color is grayish tan. Juvenile specimens, less than 85 mm SL, have a thin, black, posterodorsally sloped ring on central portion of caudal peduncle and a broad black band on posterior end of caudal peduncle.
Distribution
In the western Atlantic it ranges from New Jersey to northern Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean coast of Central and South America.
It is found throughout the Gulf of Mexico within its depth range.
Habitat Associations
Tropical Atlantic Ocean between 210 and 600 m. Juveniles are pelagic between 275 and 300 m.
Biology
Maximum known size is 194 mm SL.
A mesobenthic-pelagic species living mainly above the bottom (Ref. 31632). Found on the continental slope (Ref. 7321).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2012-07-11. Resilience: Medium (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: of potential interest.
References
Mayer 1974
Fujii 1983b
Gon 2002b
Gon, O. (1986) Apogonidae. p. 546-561. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Abramov, A.A. (1992) Species composition and distribution of Epigonus (Epigonidae) in the world ocean. J. Ichthyol. 32(5):94-108.
Patzner, R.A. (2008) Reproductive strategies of fish. pp. 311-350. In Rocha, M.J., A. Arukwe and B.G. Kapoor (eds). Fish reproduction: cytology, biology and ecology. Science Publisher, Inc. Oxford. 631 p.
De La Hoz-M, J., J. Motta and J. Paramo (2016) Length-weight relationships for 36 deep sea fish in the Colombian Caribbean Sea. J. Appl. Ichthyol. 32:1356-1359. DOI: 10.1111/jai.13217
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