Phaeoptyx pigmentaria
Dusky Cardinalfish
Collection Details
Specimens
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Perciformes (Perciformes, Also Called the Acanthopteri)
Apogonidae (Cardinalfishes)
Phaeoptyx
Phaeoptyx pigmentaria (Dusky 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
Teeth of jaws, vomer, and palatine are villiform and in narrow bands except for some enlarged teeth in anterior section of upper and lateral section of lower jaw. Preopercular ridge is smooth, and posterior margin of preoperculum is finely serrated, with fleshy posteroventral process extending to near margin of operculum. Gill rakers on first arch number 11 to 13 on lower limb. Measurements are expressed as percent of SL: head length 32%–37%, snout length 7%–9%, eye diameter 10%–11%, upper jaw length 18%–20%, caudal peduncle length 23%–25%, body depth 31%–35%. Pectoral fin has 11 or 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. Inner pelvic fin ray is connected along its length to abdomen by membrane. Caudal fin is forked. Scales are ctenoid and deciduous. Median predorsal scales number 5 or 6, and circumpeduncular scales number 16.
Color is reddish to brownish and densely and uniformly covered with small dark brown spots. Dark elongated blotch is located on caudal peduncle.
Distribution
In the western Atlantic it occurs from southern Florida and Bermuda to Brazil, including the northern and southern Gulf of Mexico, the Bahamas, and the Greater and Lesser Antilles.
Habitat Associations
Tropical Atlantic, from near shore to 42 m. Associated with sea-grass beds.
Sea-grass beds
Biology
Maximum known size is about 76 mm TL.
Found on coral, gravel, or shell bottoms (Ref. 9626). Found near open basket stars at night (Ref. 9710).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; bearers (external brooders). Mouthbrooders (Ref. 240, 58878). 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.).
References
Longley and Hildebrand 1941
Caldwell and Briggs 1957
Böhlke and Chaplin 1968
Böhlke and Randall 1968
Bright and Cashman 1974
Hoese and Moore 1977, 1998
Hastings 1979
Robins and Ray 1986
Boschung 1992
Randall 1996
Schaldach et al. 1997
Cervigón 1993b
Smith 1997
Smith-Vaniz et al. 1999
Gon 2002a
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.
Uyeno, T., K. Matsuura and E. Fujii (eds.) (1983) Fishes trawled off Suriname and French Guiana. Japan Marine Fishery Resource Research Center, Tokyo, Japan. 519 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.
Charney, P. (1976) Oral brooding in the cardinalfishes Phaeoptyx conklini and Apogon maculatus from the Bahamas. Copeia 1976(1):198-200.
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