Apogonidae
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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 Banggai cardinalfish, Pterapogon kauderni
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Cardinalfishes are a family, Apogonidae, of ray-finned fishes. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, they are chiefly marine, but some species are found in brackish water. A handful of species are kept in the aquarium and are popular as small, peaceful, and colourful fish.
They are generally small fish, with most species being less than 10 centimetres (3.9 in), and are often brightly coloured. They are distinguished by their large mouths, and the division of the dorsal fin into two separate fins. Most species live in tropical or subtropical waters, where they inhabit coral reefs and lagoons.[1]
They are nocturnal, spending the day in dark crevices within the reef. At least some species brood the eggs inside the mouth of the males.[1]
[edit] Genera
FishBase lists 331 species in the following 24 genera. The genus Epigonus, formerly classified in Apogonidae, is placed in a separate family, Epigonidae, by FishBase.[2]
Family APOGONIDAE
- Subfamily Apogoninae
- Subfamily Pseudaminae
[edit] References
- ^ a b Johnson, G.D. & Gill, A.C. (1998). Paxton, J.R. & Eschmeyer, W.N.. ed.. Encyclopedia of Fishes. San Diego: Academic Press. p. 183. ISBN 0-12-547665-5.
- ^ "Apogonidae". FishBase. Ed. Rainer Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
