Records of the Western Australian Museum 17: 439-442 (1996). 
A new species of Cardinalfishes (Apogonidae) from northern Australia 
Gerald R. Allen and Susan M. Morrison 
Department of Aquatic Vertebrates, Western Australian Museum, 
Francis Street, Perth, Western Australia 6000 
Abstract - A new species of apogonid fish is described on the basis of five 
trawl-captured specimens from northwestern Australia. A. fuscomaculatus, 
sp. nov. appears to be most closely related to A. striatus from the Indo-Malay 
Archipelago. The two species have similar low gill raker counts (8-9 
developed rakers), fin shapes (relatively low dorsal and anal with slightly 
rounded caudal), and preopercle serration (moderate serrae on margin and 
smooth ridge). Additionally, they both possess a silvery abdomen and a 
similar pattern of three dark lines radiating from the eye. They differ 
markedly, however in overall colour pattern. A. fuscomaculatus, sp. nov. has 
large dark spots on the side of the body compared with about 10 narrow 
bars on the side of A. striatus. 
INTRODUCTION 
The fishes of the family Apogonidae, popularly 
known as cardinalfishes, are common reef 
inhabitants of tropical and subtropical regions. 
They are relatively small (rarely exceeding 10 cm 
in standard length), often brightly coloured fishes, 
with two separate dorsal fins (the first of six to 
eight spines), and a large oblique mouth. Most seek 
shelter during the day, emerging at night to feed 
on small benthic invertebrates (primarily 
crustaceans). They are oral-brooders, the males 
holding the fertilised ova in their mouth for several 
days until hatching. The family is large, estimated 
to contain 250 species in 21 genera. The present 
paper describes a new species of Apogon Lacepede 
collected by trawl in relatively deep water off 
north-western Australia. 
Type specimens have been deposited in the 
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern 
Territory, Darwin (NTM) and the Western 
Australian Museum, Perth (WAM). 
Lengths given for specimens are standard length 
(SL), measured from the front of the upper lip to 
the base of the caudal fin (posterior end of hypural 
plate); body depth is the maximum depth from the 
base of the dorsal spines; body width is measured 
just posterior to the gill opening; head length is 
taken from the front of the upper lip to the end of 
the opercular membrane, and snout length from 
the same anterior point to tire fleshy edge of the 
orbit; orbit diameter is the greatest fleshy diameter, 
and interorbital width the least bony width; caudal 
peduncle depth is the least depth, and caudal 
peduncle length the horizontal distance between 
verticals at the rear base of the anal fin and the 
caudal-fin base; lengths of fin spines and soft rays 
are measured to their extreme bases. 
Pectoral-ray counts include the upper 
rudimentary ray; lateral-line scale counts are made 
to the base of the caudal fin (hence do not include 
the pored scales posterior to the hypural plate); 
gill-raker counts are made on the first gill arch and 
include developed rakers only (those which are 
higher than the width of their base); the count of 
the upper-limb rakers is given first, followed by 
the lower-limb count; the raker at the angle is 
contained in the lower-limb count. 
Proportional measurements of type specimens 
are given in Table 1 as percentages of the standard 
length. Data in parentheses in the description refer 
to para types. 
SYSTEMATICS 
Apogon fuscomaculatus, sp. nov. 
Figure 1; Table 1 
Holotype 
NTM S. 13284-014, 48.5 mm SL, NE of Charles 
Point, Darwin, Northern Territory, (approximately 
12°17’S, 130°40'E), 18-24 m, trawl, R. Williams, 2 
September 1992. 
Paratypes 
NTM S.11672-027, 51.1 mm SL, S of Rowley 
Shoals, Western Australia (approximately 19°02'S, 
118°30'E), 82-86 m, trawl, NT Fisheries Dept., 2 
June 1985; NTM S.11673-037, 43.7 mm SL, S of 
Rowley Shoals, Western Australia (approximately 
19°12'S, 118°41'E), 76-80 m, trawl, NT Fisheries 
Dept., 1 June 1985; NTM S.13337-003, 45.0 mm SL, 
SW of Flat Top Bank, Timor Sea (approximately 
19°02'S, 118°30'E), 82-86 m, trawl, NT Fisheries 
Dept., 23 November 1990; WAM P.30992-001, 48.5 
mm SL, same data as NTM S.11673-037. 
