Relevant synonyms Apogon queketti Meristic formula D1, VII; D2, I + 9; A, II + 8; P, 13-17; V, I + 5; LL, 24 + 3  photo: Daniel Golani

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oblong and compressed. Two dorsal fins, the first with 7 spines, the 3rd and 4th the largest. The soft dorsal rays longer than dorsal spines. Anal fin origin at the vertical of 2nd dorsal fin origin. Caudal fin round. Pelvic fin origin under pectoral fin origin. Mouth slightly oblique reaching back beyond eye. Large eye, its diameter 3.3-4.0 times in head length. Preopercle edge smooth. Large scales. Color : body grey to off-white, slightly darker on the back. Dark grey to brown spots on the body forming longitudinal irregular lines. Large black spot on the posterior edge of first dorsal fin. Posterior edge of caudal fin and lower of anal fin dark grey to black. Pectoral and pelvic fins transparent to white.     Size : 3-12 cm (max 15 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Apogon spp. – No longitudinal irregular lines on the body, no large black spot on the posterior edge of first dorsal fin. Serranidae, Teraponidae, Haemulidae, Sparidae and Labridae – A single dorsal fin.   BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Nocturnal species. Feeds on zooplankton during the night. The males presumably incubate the eggs in the mouth. habitat : during the day hide in rocky habitat, while at night prey in open water close to the substrate to depth of 90 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Turkey, Iskenderun Bay, 2006 [2004]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : Western Indian Ocean from South Africa to the Red Sea, Persian Gulf and India. Mediterranean : Israel to Iskenderun Bay, Turkey (Eryilmaz and Dalyan, 2006). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Rare, only several specimens were collected in the Mediterranean. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal.  IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Eryilmaz L. and Dalyan C., 2006.  First record of Apogon queketti Gilchrist (Osteichthyes: Apogonidae) in the Mediterranean Sea.  J. Fish Biology, 69: 1251-1254. Gon O., 1996.  Revision of the cardinalfish subgenus Jaydia (Perciformes, Apogonidae, Apogon). Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa, 51: 147-194.  Gon O. and Randall J.E.,  2003.  A review of the cardinalfishes (Perciformes: Apogonidae) of the Red Sea. Smithiana Bulletin, 1: 1-48.   FEEDBACK / COMMENTS TO AUTHORS

Last update of the species sheet: November 2013 ©ciesm 2002