Tailspot Cardinalfish, Gymnapogon urospilotus Lachner 1953

A Tailspot Cardinalfish, Gymnapogon urospilotus, from Mindoro, Philippines, USNM 379166. Source: Jeffrey T. Williams, Division of Fishes, Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum. License: CC by Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike

Summary:

A secretive semi-transparent cardinalfish with a distinctive dark B-shaped spot on the caudal-fin base.

Cite this page as:

Bray, D.J. 2019, Gymnapogon urospilotus in Fishes of Australia, accessed 24 Apr 2024, https://fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1643

Tailspot Cardinalfish, Gymnapogon urospilotus Lachner 1953

More Info

Distribution	Scott Reef, Western Australia, Ashmore and Cartier Islands (Timor Sea), the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland and reefs in the Coral Sea; also at Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the eastern Indian Ocean. Elsewhere the species occurs in the west-central Pacific. During the day, this nocturnal species shelters deep within the reef.
Features	Dorsal fin VI + I, 9; Anal fin II, 9-10; Pectoral fin 13-14; Pelvic fin I, 5; Caudal fin (branched rays) 8+7; Gill rakers (incl rudiments) 2+1+9.
Biology	The transparent larvae have large orange-red blotches on the tail, scattered melanophores on the head and pelvic fins, very long pelvic-fin rays with black tips and contrasting white bands, and limited inter-ray membranes. They also have a strongly serrate urohyal, however, the serrations disappear after settlement. Larvae settle onto the reef at 2-2.5 cm SL (Leis et al. 2015).
Etymology	The species is named urospilotus, in reference to the spots at the end of the caudal peduncle.
Species Citation	Gymnapogon urospilotus Lachner 1953, in Schultz et al. (eds), Bull. U. S. Natl Mus. 202(1): 494, fig. 83. Type locality: Kwajalein Atoll, northern Marshall Islands, in lagoon reef near south end of Ennylabegan Island.
Author	Bray, D.J. 2019
Resources	Australian Faunal Directory

Tailspot Cardinalfish, Gymnapogon urospilotus Lachner 1953

References

Allen, G.R. & Erdmann, M.V. 2012. Reef fishes of the East Indies. Perth : Tropical Reef Research 3 vols, 1260 pp.

Allen, G.R. & Smith-Vaniz, W.F. 1994. Fishes of Cocos (Keeling) Islands. Atoll Research Bulletin 412: 1-21

Lachner, E.A. 1953. Family Apogonidae : cardinal fishes. pp. 412-498 figs 69-84 pls 33-43 in Schultz, L.P., Herald, E.S., Lachner, E.A., Welander, A.D. & Woods, L.P. (eds). Fishes of the Marshall and Marianas Islands. Vol. 1. Families Asymmetrontidae through Siganidae. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 202(1): 1-685, figs 1-90, pls 1-74 https://doi.org/10.5479/si.03629236.202.1 open access

Leis, J.M., Meyer, O., Hay, A.C. & Gaither, M.R. 2015. A coral-reef fish with large, fast, conspicuous larvae, and small, cryptic adults (Teleostei: Apogonidae). Copeia 103(1): 78-86. DOI 10.1643/CG-14-119 Abstract

Mabuchi, K., Fraser, T.H., Song, H., Azuma, Y. & Nishida, M. 2014. Revision of the systematics of the cardinalfishes (Percomorpha: Apogonidae) based on molecular analyses and comparative reevaluation of morphological characters. Zootaxa 3846(2): 151–203.

Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. A comprehensive guide to the coral reef fishes of Micronesia. Guam : Coral Graphics vi 330 pp. 192 pls.

Randall, J.E. 2005. Reef and shore fishes of the South Pacific. New Caledonia to Tahiti and the Pitcairn Islands. Honolulu : University of Hawaii Press 707 pp.

Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R. & Steene, R. 1997. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Bathurst : Crawford House Press 557 pp. figs.