Review of the Cardinalfishes (Perciformes: Apogonidae) of the Red Sea

Abstract

Twelve genera and 54 species of cardinalfishes are reported from the Red Sea. The Red Sea cardinalfishes include: Apogon annularis Rüppell, A. apogonides (Bleeker), Apogon bryx Fraser, A. campbelli Smith, A. coccineus Rüppell, A. cookii Macleay, A. cyanosoma Bleeker, A. erythrosoma n. sp., A. exostigma (Jordan & Starks), A. fleurieu (Lacepède), A. fraenatus Valenciennes, A. guamensis Valenciennes, A. gularis Fraser & Lachner, A. heptastygma Cuvier, A. isus Randall & Böhlke, A. kallopterus Bleeker, A. leptacanthus Bleeker, A. multitaeniatus Cuvier, A. nigrofasciatus Lachner, A. pharaonis Bellotti, A. pselion Randall, Fraser & Lachner, A. pseudotaeniatus Gon, A. quadrifasciatus Cuvier, A. queketti Gilchrist, A. semiornatus Peters, A. smithi (Kotthaus), A. spilurus Regan, A. taeniatus Cuvier, A. talboti Smith, A. timorensis Bleeker, A. zebrinus Fraser, Randall & Lachner, Apogonichthys perdix Bleeker, Archamia bilineata Gon & Randall, Archamia fucata (Cantor), Archamia lineolata (Cuvier), Cercamia eremia (Allen), Cheilodipterus lachneri Klausewitz, C. lineatus (Forsskål), C. macrodon LacepPde, C. novemstriatus (Rüppell), C. pygmaios Gon, C. quinquelineatus Cuvier, Foa fo Jordan & Seale, Fowleria aurita (Valenciennes), F. marmorata (Alleyne & Macleay), F. vaiulae (Jordan & Seale), F. variegata (Valenciennes), Neamia octospina Smith & Radcliffe, Pseudamia gelatinosa Smith, Rhabdamia cypselura Weber, R. nigrimentum (Smith), R. spilota Allen & Kuiter, Siphamia permutata Klausewitz, and Sphaeramia orbicularis (Cuvier). Twelve (22%) of the apogonid species are endemic. Seven species, i.e. Apogon apogonides, A. campbelli, A. erythrosoma, A. talboti, Foa fo, Rhabdamia spilota and Sphaeramia orbicularis, are new to the Red Sea. Apogon coccineus of previous authors is a complex of three species, including campbelli Smith and erythrosoma n. sp. The dark-striped species of Apogon of the Red Sea previously identified as angustatus, endekataenia, fasciatus, or novemfasciatus are cookii and nigrofasciatus. Red Sea apogonids identified by previous authors as Apogon bandanensis, monochrous, nubilus and savayensis, are guamensis and zebrinus. Apogon micromaculatus Kotthaus is A. spilurus Regan. The specimen of Apogon kiensis reported by Smith (1961) from the Red Sea is A. bryx, recently described from the Philippines. In the genus Fowleria, polystigma (Bleeker) and punctulata (Rüppell) are junior synonyms of variegata (Valenciennes). F. abocellata Goren & Karplus is a junior synonym of vaiulae (Jordan & Seale), and isostigma (Jordan & Seale) does not occur in the Red Sea. Apogon cupreus and A. latus, both of Cuvier, are unidentifiable. A. hyalosoma and A. taeniophorus are doubtful records