Sponge cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx xenus)

Scientific name: Phaeoptyx xenus B?hlke & Randall, 1968

Sponge cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx xenus)

The Sponge cardinalfish (Phaeoptyx xenus) is a marine fish of the family Apogonidae. Native range: Western Central Atlantic, southern Florida (USA), Bahamas, and northeastern Gulf of Mexico to Venezuela.

Biology

Occurs in coral reefs and rocky bottoms, frequently inhabiting cylindrical sponges like Verongia fistularis, Callyspongia plicifera, and Callyspongia vaginalis.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name
Phaeoptyx xenus
Family
Apogonidae (Cardinalfishes)
Order
Perciformes (Perch-like fish)
Class
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length
7.5
Depth range
5–60 m (16–197 ft)
Environment
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 5 - 60 m, usually 5 - 20 m
Climate
Tropical
Distribution
Western Central Atlantic: southern Florida (USA), Bahamas, and northeastern Gulf of Mexico to Venezuela.
Conservation status (IUCN)
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Resilience
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

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