Relevant synonyms Apogon smithi Meristic formula D1, VII; D2, I + 9; A, II + 8; P, 15-16; V, I + 5; LL, 24 + 3; 14-18  photo: Daniel Golani

SHORT DESCRIPTION Body oblong and slightly compressed. Two dorsal fins, the first with deeply notched membrane, the 3rd-4th spines the longest. Second dorsal fin much higher. Anal fin origin slightly behind origin of second dorsal fin. Caudal fin rounded to truncated. Terminal and oblique mouth, jaws reaching back at least to vertical of the posterior eye margin. Large eye. Preoperculum edge serrated with 3-7 flat serrae at the angle of its lower posterior margin. Large finely ctenoid scales. color : body tan to light brown shading to off-white belly. Five to six wide dark fainted vertical bars. (These bars are almost absent in specimens larger then 10 cm TL). Upper part of first dorsal black. Series of dark dots forming horizontal line on the first third of the second dorsal fin. Edges of second dorsal and caudal fins black. Pectoral and pelvic fins transparent  to white becoming light grey in large specimens. size : 4-10 cm (max. 15 cm). DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS Apogon queketti – Longitudinal rows of dark spots on the body; two developed gill rakers on the arch's upper limb. Apogon pharaonis (known until recently in the Mediterranean as A. nigripinnis) – Three wide and distinct horizontal bars, large dark spot surrounding by a yellow ring at the midside of the first bar. Apogon imberbis – Red body; six spines in the first dorsal fin. Epigonidae – Base of soft ray portion of dorsal, anal and caudal fins covered with scales. BIOLOGY / ECOLOGY Nocturnal species. Inhabits sandy to muddy substrate at depths of 30-50 m. Feeds on invertebrates. Spawning season in the warmer months. Mouth brooder, the males incubate the eggs. habitat : during the day hides in rocky habitat, while at night preys in open water close to the substrate to depths of 50 m.

1st MEDITERRANEAN RECORD Israel, 2008 [2007]. DISTRIBUTION Worldwide : wide Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea to Indonesia and Taiwan. Mediterranean : Israel and south-eastern Turkey (Golani et al., 2008). ESTABLISHMENT SUCCESS Common, caught in large numbers by trawl at depths of 30-50 m. MODE OF INTRODUCTION Via the Suez Canal.  IMPORTANCE TO HUMANS None.

KEY REFERENCES Golani D., Appelbaum-Golani B. and Gon O., 2008. Apogon smithi (Kotthaus, 1970) (Teleostei: Apogonidae), a Red Sea cardinalfish colonizing the Mediterranean Sea. J. Fish Biology, 72: 1534-1538. 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