175: APOGONIDAE (CARDINAL FISHES)
2a LL scales on peduncle enlarged, forming lateral
keel that extends to C base; body depth 2.4-2.7
in SL ................................................................ Rosenblattia
2b No enlarged LL scales and no keel on peduncle;
body depth 3.3-3.8 in SL ........................................ Florenciella
Genus Epigonus Rafinesque, 1810
Body elongate; 7 or 8 spines in D 1 ; 15-23 P rays; canine
teeth absent; jaws, vomer .and palatines either toothed or
toothless; eye large, round to oval; pyloric caeca proved to
be of taxonomic value and range from 5 to 34; caeca sometimes modified as a bioluminescent organ; C forked. Usually
found on continental slope at depth range of 200 - 1 200 m.
Mayer (1974) revised the genus and recognised 12 species;
at least 4 in our area, 1 other (E. constanciae) likely to be
found here.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Opercular spine bony and strong; pyloric caeca 5-8 ................... 2
Ib Opercular spine weak and poorly ossified;
10 or more pyloric caeca ..................................................... 3
2a Tongue bearing tooth patches (not the scattered
small papillae found on the tongue of some species);
10+ 15 vertebrae ............................................ [E. constanciae)
2b Tongue without teeth; 11-14 vertebrae ...................... E. robustus
3a P 19-23; total GR 23-26; pyloric caeca 21-34;
vertebrae 11 + 14 ................................................ E. telescopus
3b P 17-20; total GR 26-34; pyloric caeca 10-14;
vertebrae 10+ 15 ............................................................... 4
4a Body depth 3.4-4.8 in SL; peduncle length 3.8-5.0
in SL; 1 pterygiophore between neural spines 9 and 10;
specimens < 11 cm SL with a dark ring on
peduncle .......................................................... E. pandionis
4b Body depth 4.2-6.3 in SL; peduncle length 3.1-3.9 in SL;
2 pterygiophores between neural spines 9 and 10;
no dark ring on peduncle ................................... E. denticulatus
175.44 Epigonus constanciae
(Giglioli, 1880)
Pomatomichthys constanciae Giglioli, 1880: 20 (Straits of Messina).
Epigonus trewavasae Poll, 1954: 91, Fig. 27 (offN. Angola); Mayer, 1974:
183*; Karrer, 1975: 72. Epigonus constanciae: Mayer & Tortonese, 1977:
1 *; Matallanas, 1977: 369*.
D VII+I,9; A 11,9; P 16-19; LL 46-52; GR (8-10)+(20-25); pyloric
caeca 6-8. Depth 3.3-4.7, head 2.6-3.1, peduncle length 3.5-4.1, least
175.44 Epigonus constanciae: 19.5 em (after Poll, 1954).
558
peduncle depth 7.2-10.3, interorbital 9.2-11.5, all in SL; eye 2.0-2.4 in
head. Small specimens either lack teeth on jaws or have 1 row of small
conical teeth; large specimens have multiple rows on jaws and vomer;
palatines toothed or toothless; tongue bearing a triangular patch of glossohyal teeth along midline and a narrow band along each side; lower jaw
with 2 chin nubs near symphysis; opercular bones sometimes weakly
serrated.
Colour in alcohol yellowish brown, darker dorsally; D
membranes dark; gill chamber and peritoneum black. Attains 16 cm. Western Mediterranean south to Namibia,
18°36'S; depth range 200 - 600 m.
175.45 Epigonus denticulatus
Dieuzeide, 1950
Pencil cardinal
Potlood-kardinaal
Epigonus denticulatus Dieuzeide, 1950: 89, Figs. 1-2(Algeria); Mayer,
1974: 175*. Epigonus atherinoides (non Gilbert): Smith, 1961: 378*.
Hynnodus atherinoides (non Gilbert): Smith, SFSA No. 495a*.
D VII +1,10; A 11,9; P 18-20; LL 46-49; GR (8-9)+(20-25); pyloric
caeca 10-14. Depth 4.2-6.3, head 2.6-3.2, peduncle length 3.1-3.9, least
depth of peduncle 10, interorbital 9.6-12.2, all in SL; eye 2.1-2.5 in head.
Teeth small, conical, some recurved; upper jaw with 1 row ofteeth; lower
jaw with a narrow band, tapering to 1 row posteriorly; vomer with a round
patch of teeth and palatines with a narrow band; no chin nubs; opercle
with 3-7 poorly ossified projections above main spine; opercular bones
sometimes weakly serrated.
In alcohol body colour reddish brown; head light yellow;
all fins light. Attains 20 cm. Mediterranean to South Africa
(Walvis Bay to Cape Point); Caribbean, Japan, Australia
and New Zealand. Juveniles go through a pelagic stage
(Mayer, 1974); depth range 200 - 800 m.
175.45 Epigonus denticulatus: 17 em (off Natal).
175.46 Epigonus pandionis
(Goode & Bean, 1881)
Apogon pandionis Goode & Bean, 1881: 160 (off Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, U.S.A.). Epigonus te/escopus (non Risso): Poll, 1954: 89*.
Epigonus pandionis: Mayer, 1974: 163*.
D VII+I,1O; A 11,9; P 17-19; LL 46-49; GR (8-10)+(18-23); pyloric
caeca 10-13. Depth 3.4-4.8, head 2.6-3.5, peduncle length 3.8-5.0, interorbitaI8.7-11.6, all in SL; eye 2.0-2.7 in head. Small specimens « 8 cm SL)
with 1 row ofteeth on jaws and palatines; vomer with a V-shaped patch of
teeth; larger specimens with increased number of tooth rows on jaws and
palatines; vomerine patch may cover entire bone surface; 2-5 poorly ossified projections dorsally to opercular spine; chin nubs absent.
2a LL scales on peduncle enlarged, forming lateral
keel that extends to C base; body depth 2.4-2.7
in SL ................................................................ Rosenblattia
2b No enlarged LL scales and no keel on peduncle;
body depth 3.3-3.8 in SL ........................................ Florenciella
Genus Epigonus Rafinesque, 1810
Body elongate; 7 or 8 spines in D 1 ; 15-23 P rays; canine
teeth absent; jaws, vomer .and palatines either toothed or
toothless; eye large, round to oval; pyloric caeca proved to
be of taxonomic value and range from 5 to 34; caeca sometimes modified as a bioluminescent organ; C forked. Usually
found on continental slope at depth range of 200 - 1 200 m.
Mayer (1974) revised the genus and recognised 12 species;
at least 4 in our area, 1 other (E. constanciae) likely to be
found here.
KEY TO SPECIES
la Opercular spine bony and strong; pyloric caeca 5-8 ................... 2
Ib Opercular spine weak and poorly ossified;
10 or more pyloric caeca ..................................................... 3
2a Tongue bearing tooth patches (not the scattered
small papillae found on the tongue of some species);
10+ 15 vertebrae ............................................ [E. constanciae)
2b Tongue without teeth; 11-14 vertebrae ...................... E. robustus
3a P 19-23; total GR 23-26; pyloric caeca 21-34;
vertebrae 11 + 14 ................................................ E. telescopus
3b P 17-20; total GR 26-34; pyloric caeca 10-14;
vertebrae 10+ 15 ............................................................... 4
4a Body depth 3.4-4.8 in SL; peduncle length 3.8-5.0
in SL; 1 pterygiophore between neural spines 9 and 10;
specimens < 11 cm SL with a dark ring on
peduncle .......................................................... E. pandionis
4b Body depth 4.2-6.3 in SL; peduncle length 3.1-3.9 in SL;
2 pterygiophores between neural spines 9 and 10;
no dark ring on peduncle ................................... E. denticulatus
175.44 Epigonus constanciae
(Giglioli, 1880)
Pomatomichthys constanciae Giglioli, 1880: 20 (Straits of Messina).
Epigonus trewavasae Poll, 1954: 91, Fig. 27 (offN. Angola); Mayer, 1974:
183*; Karrer, 1975: 72. Epigonus constanciae: Mayer & Tortonese, 1977:
1 *; Matallanas, 1977: 369*.
D VII+I,9; A 11,9; P 16-19; LL 46-52; GR (8-10)+(20-25); pyloric
caeca 6-8. Depth 3.3-4.7, head 2.6-3.1, peduncle length 3.5-4.1, least
175.44 Epigonus constanciae: 19.5 em (after Poll, 1954).
558
peduncle depth 7.2-10.3, interorbital 9.2-11.5, all in SL; eye 2.0-2.4 in
head. Small specimens either lack teeth on jaws or have 1 row of small
conical teeth; large specimens have multiple rows on jaws and vomer;
palatines toothed or toothless; tongue bearing a triangular patch of glossohyal teeth along midline and a narrow band along each side; lower jaw
with 2 chin nubs near symphysis; opercular bones sometimes weakly
serrated.
Colour in alcohol yellowish brown, darker dorsally; D
membranes dark; gill chamber and peritoneum black. Attains 16 cm. Western Mediterranean south to Namibia,
18°36'S; depth range 200 - 600 m.
175.45 Epigonus denticulatus
Dieuzeide, 1950
Pencil cardinal
Potlood-kardinaal
Epigonus denticulatus Dieuzeide, 1950: 89, Figs. 1-2(Algeria); Mayer,
1974: 175*. Epigonus atherinoides (non Gilbert): Smith, 1961: 378*.
Hynnodus atherinoides (non Gilbert): Smith, SFSA No. 495a*.
D VII +1,10; A 11,9; P 18-20; LL 46-49; GR (8-9)+(20-25); pyloric
caeca 10-14. Depth 4.2-6.3, head 2.6-3.2, peduncle length 3.1-3.9, least
depth of peduncle 10, interorbital 9.6-12.2, all in SL; eye 2.1-2.5 in head.
Teeth small, conical, some recurved; upper jaw with 1 row ofteeth; lower
jaw with a narrow band, tapering to 1 row posteriorly; vomer with a round
patch of teeth and palatines with a narrow band; no chin nubs; opercle
with 3-7 poorly ossified projections above main spine; opercular bones
sometimes weakly serrated.
In alcohol body colour reddish brown; head light yellow;
all fins light. Attains 20 cm. Mediterranean to South Africa
(Walvis Bay to Cape Point); Caribbean, Japan, Australia
and New Zealand. Juveniles go through a pelagic stage
(Mayer, 1974); depth range 200 - 800 m.
175.45 Epigonus denticulatus: 17 em (off Natal).
175.46 Epigonus pandionis
(Goode & Bean, 1881)
Apogon pandionis Goode & Bean, 1881: 160 (off Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, U.S.A.). Epigonus te/escopus (non Risso): Poll, 1954: 89*.
Epigonus pandionis: Mayer, 1974: 163*.
D VII+I,1O; A 11,9; P 17-19; LL 46-49; GR (8-10)+(18-23); pyloric
caeca 10-13. Depth 3.4-4.8, head 2.6-3.5, peduncle length 3.8-5.0, interorbitaI8.7-11.6, all in SL; eye 2.0-2.7 in head. Small specimens « 8 cm SL)
with 1 row ofteeth on jaws and palatines; vomer with a V-shaped patch of
teeth; larger specimens with increased number of tooth rows on jaws and
palatines; vomerine patch may cover entire bone surface; 2-5 poorly ossified projections dorsally to opercular spine; chin nubs absent.