Common Name
Robust Deepsea Cardinalfish
Year Described
Barnard, 1927
Identification
Dorsal Fin: VII-I, 9 (rarely 6 or 8 spines and 8 rays)
Anal Fin: II, 9
Pectoral Fin: 15-18
Lateral Line: 47-49
Gill Rakers: 30-32 (first arch)
Vertebrae: 11+14 = 25 total
Body moderately slender and laterally compressed. Large terminal mouth. Teeth conical. Lingual teeth absent. Endopterygoid teeth absent. Two blunt knobs present at lower jaw symphysis. Maxillary process present but blunt. Opercular spine present. Other spinelets present under main spine. Pyloric caeca 6-7. Ribs present on last abdominal vertebrae. First dorsal spine tiny. Lateral line complete and composed of pored scales. No luminous organ on belly.
Color
Body dark grayish-brown or black on the dorsum with a silvery flank/opercle and whitish belly. Fins with dark membranes. Mouth light. Gills area dark. Eye black.
Size
Maximum size to 198mm SL.
Habitat
Taken near the bottom from 800-1225m. Juveniles appear to be more midwater.
Range
S. Brazil to Argentina. Southern hemisphere endemic.
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. 2012. Two new species of the genus Epigonus (Perciformes: Epigonidae) from the South Pacific, with a definition of the Epigonus constanciae group. Ichthyological Research, 59, 242-254.
Other Notes
Epigonus occidentalis, E. pectinifer, and E. robustus are the only Epigonus in the area with strong opercular spines (the E. constanciae group). The absence of tongue teeth and simple gill rakers distinguish this from the closest relative, E. pectinifer. The vertebral formula of 11+14 seems unique in the genus in our area.