Pink Cardinalfish, Apogon pacificus

Pink Cardinalfish, Apogon pacificus.  Fish “caught” off Point Palmilla, Baja California Sur having been regurgitated by a 30 cm (12 inches) Flag Cabrilla, April 2015. Length: 3.8 cm (1.5 inches).

Pink Cardinalfish, Apogon pacificus. Fish caught from the jetty at Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, March 2012. Length: 10 cm (3.9 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Eli (obsessiveangling.wordpress.com).

The Pink Cardinalfish, Apogon pacificus, is a member of the Cardinalfish or Apogonidae Family, and is known in Mexico as cardenal morro listado. Globally there are one hundred ninety species in the genus Apogon, of which seventeen are found in Mexican waters, twelve in the Atlantic Ocean and five in the Pacific Ocean.

The Pink Cardinalfish has a small laterally compressed oblong body. They are overall reddish-pink in color with yellow on their head, breast, and body. They have a distinguishing black bar that runs from their snout through the eyes and a short black bar on their upper back below the origin of their second dorsal fin (a key to identification). The upper and lower portions of their eyes are yellow. Their head is large with a short pointed snout, large eyes, and a large oblique mouth equipped with small teeth located on the roof of the mouth. Their anal fin has 2 spines and 8 rays; their caudal fin is concave; their first dorsal fin has 6 spines; their second dorsal fin is well separated with 1 spine and 9 rays; and their pectoral fins are exceedingly long. They have 15 to 17 gill rakers on the first arch. Their lateral line is complete and extends into the tail base and they are covered with rough scales.

The Pink Cardinalfish is found in coral and rocky reefs at depths up to 96 m (315 feet). They reach a maximum of 10.0 cm (3.9 inches) in length. They are nocturnal predators emerging at night and remaining secluded during the day. They consume zooplankton and small invertebrates including crab and shrimp and are often found mixed in with other Cardinalfish. They are one of the rare marine species exhibiting oral brooding; males incubate the fertilized eggs in their mouths for several days before releasing hundreds of 2 to 4 mm larvae into the ocean which remain in planktonic form for several weeks before developing into juveniles. The Pink Cardinalfish is poorly studied with very limited information available about their lifestyle and behavioral patterns including specific details on age, growth, longevity, movement patterns, diet, habitat use, and reproduction.

The Pink Cardinalfish is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Pacific Ocean with the exception that they are absent from the extreme northeast portion of the Sea of Cortez.

The Pink Cardinalfish can be confused with the Barspot Cardinalfish, Apogon retrosella (black bar under second dorsal fin), the Pink Cardinalfish, Apogon pacificus (bar thru a golden eye; bar below second dorsal fin), the Plain Cardinalfish, Apogon atricaudus (dark stream through the first dorsal fin) and the Tailspot Cardinalfish, Apogon dovii (lacks black bar thru a golden eye).

From a conservation perspective the Pink Cardinalfish is currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable widely distributed populations. From personal experience, I do not believe that the Pink Cardinalfish can be caught by hook and line, however, I see them fairly frequently. For example, in April 2015, I had nine sitting on the panga floor that had been regurgitated by one 30 cm (12 inches) Flag Cabrilla. They are generally too small and inaccessible to be of interest to most.