Epigonus robustus (Barnard, 1927)
Robust cardinalfish
photo by NOAA\NMFS\Mississippi Laboratory

Family:  Epigonidae (Deepwater cardinalfishes)
Max. size:  22 cm TL (male/unsexed)
Environment:  bathydemersal; marine; depth range 500 - 3000 m
Distribution:  Circumglobal in southern temperate waters (Ref. 7300). South Atlantic: continental slope off Argentina and off South Africa. Indo-Pacific: seamounts in the West-Indian and West-Australian ridges, Great Australian Bight, Mill Rise, seamounts in the Khizen and Eltanin Fracture zones.
Diagnosis:  Dorsal spines (total): 7-7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9-9; Anal spines: 2-2; Anal soft rays: 9-9; Vertebrae: 25-25. Opercular spine present (Ref. 31632). Largest spine on all fins generally are not longer than the diameter of the eye. Contrasting pigmented black sections on the head around the eyes, along the lower back edge of the gill cover and isthmus (Ref. 31632). Body brown above and paler below. Body very oily (Ref. 27363).
Biology:  A mesobenthic-pelagic species living mainly above the bottom (Ref. 31632).
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 12 October 2018 Ref. (130435)
Threat to humans:  harmless


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