Common Name
Few-raker Cardinalfish
Year Described
Mayer, 1974
Identification
Dorsal Fin: VII-I, 10
Anal Fin: II, 9 (rarely 8)
Pectoral Fin: 16-18
Lateral Line: 33-36
Gill Rakers: 29-32 (first arch)
Vertebrae: 10+15 = 25 total
Body slender and laterally compressed. Body depth 14-20% SL. Large terminal mouth. Teeth conical. Lingual and endopterygoid teeth present. No enlarged teeth present at lower jaw symphysis. Maxillary process absent. Opercular spine absent/weak. Other spinelets present under main spine. Pyloric caeca 8-10. First dorsal spine tiny. Lateral line complete and composed of pored scales. No luminous organ on belly.
Color
Body dark grayish-brown on the dorsum with a silvery flank and whitish belly. Opercle silvery. Fins with dark membranes. Mouth light. Gills area variable pale to dark with age. Eye black.
Size
Maximum size to 127mm SL.
Habitat
Found near the bottom near structure around 380-660m.
Range
S. Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, and off the Lesser Antilles.
References
Mayer, G. F. 1974. A revision of the cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Perciformes, Apogonidae), with descriptions of two new species. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology v. 146 (no. 3): 147-203.
Okamoto, M., Baldwin, C. C., & D. J. Long. 2024. Two new species of the deepwater cardinalfish genus Epigonus (Epigonidae) from deep reefs off Curaçao, southern Caribbean. Ichthyological Research, 71(3), 1–10.
Other Notes
Unique in having 7 dorsal spines and <40 pored lateral line scales. This and Epigonus hexacanthus are the only members of the E. oligolepis complex in the area.