Belted cardinalfish are tropical marine fish in the genus Apogon

Apogon

Apogon is a large genus of cardinalfishes with 207 currently described species. Many of these fishes live at depths of or more and can only be collected using trawling or dredging and thus are rather poorly known...

. They grow up to 6.5 centimetres (2.6 in) in length. Belted cardinalfish are found in the waters of the western Atlantic Ocean, off Central and South America, inhabiting caves and holes. They are pinkish-red on the dorsal side and yellowish-red on the ventral side. Their eggs are carried in the mouth

Mouthbrooder

Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a variety of different animals, most notably Darwin's...

 of the adult as they mature.

Description

Belted cardinalfish reach a maximum length of 6.5 centimetres (2.6 in). They have two dorsal fin

Dorsal fin

A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...

s; there are six spines in the first and one on the first with nine rays. The pectoral fins have 12 rays and the anal fins have two spines and eight rays. The caudal (tail) fin is forked with twelve scales around the caudal peduncle.

The dorsal side is red or reddish-pink, whereas the ventral side is reddish-yellow. A dark ring is present anterior to the caudal fin, lightening towards the caudal fin. A dark, thin belt extends from the base of the second dorsal fin to the base of the anal fin. The scales of the belted cardinalfish have a toothed margin and are shed periodically. The eggs are carried in the mouth

Mouthbrooder

Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a variety of different animals, most notably Darwin's...

 of the adult as they mature. The edibility of this species has been described as "poor".

Distribution and habitat

Belted cardinalfish are marine

Marine (ocean)

Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...

 fish. They are distributed through the Caribbean Sea

Caribbean Sea

The Caribbean Sea is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean located in the tropics of the Western hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico and Central America to the west and southwest, to the north by the Greater Antilles, and to the east by the Lesser Antilles....

, Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...

, and in waters off of northeastern South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

. They are found in waters from northern South America north to southern Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, including Bermuda

Bermuda

Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...

. Their range comprises the Antilles

Antilles

The Antilles islands form the greater part of the West Indies in the Caribbean Sea. The Antilles are divided into two major groups: the "Greater Antilles" to the north and west, including the larger islands of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola , and Puerto Rico; and the smaller "Lesser Antilles" on the...

 as well. Belted cardinalfish are found in rocky areas and reefs near drop-offs. They are often found near reef

Reef

In nautical terminology, a reef is a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water ....

s at depths of 3 to 55 m (9.8 to 180.4 ). Belted cardinalfish inhabit caves and holes, and may be found among the spines of the Long-Spined Urchin.