Flamefish, Apogon maculatus
Flamefish, Apogon maculatus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Broward County, Florida, June 2021. Length: 3.7 cm (1.5 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Ben Cantrell, Sebastian, Florida.
Flamefish, Apogon maculatus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Boca Raton, Florida, December 2022. Length 3.7 cm (1.5 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of James Lafontaine, Long Island, New York.
Flamefish, Apogon maculatus. A pair of fish caught from coastal waters off Key West, Florida, March 2017. Length of each: 3.7 cm (1.5 inches). Catch, photographs and identification courtesy of Dean Kimberly, Atlanta, Georgia.
Flamefish, Apogon maculatus. Fish caught from coastal waters off Boca Raton, Florida, June 2023. Length: 11 cm (4.3 inches). Catch, photograph and identification courtesy of Chris Moore, Peoria, Arizona.
Flamefish, Apogon maculatus. Underwater photograph taken in coastal waters of Yal-Ku, Quintana Roo, April 2017. Photograph courtesy of Juan Rojo, Akumal.
The Flamefish, Apogon maculatus, is a member of the Cardinalfish or Apogonidae Family, and is known in Mexico as cardenal manchado. Globally, there are one hundred ninty species in the genus Apogon, of which seventeen are found in Mexican waters, twelve in the Atlantic and five in the Pacific Ocean.
The Flamefish has a small laterally compressed oblong body. They are overall dusky-reddish in color with a round black spot under their second dorsal fin and a broad black saddle on their caudal peduncle. They have a black stripe through their eyes that extends from the snout to the gill cover and is bordered above and below by thin silver stripes. The intensity of the black spotting and the markings within and around the eyes vary significantly from fish to fish. The rear margins of their anal, caudal, and second dorsal fins are occasionally dark. Their head is large with a short, pointed snout, large eyes, and a large oblique mouth equipped with bands of small teeth. 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 has 1 spine and 9 rays; and, their pectoral fins are exceedingly long. They have 13 or 14 gill rakers on their lower arch. They are covered with rough scales. Their lateral line is complete and extends into the tail base.
The Flamefish is found in seagrass beds, tidal pools, and coral and rocky reefs at depths up to 122 m (400 feet) within waters that range in temperature from 22oC (72oF) to 26oC (78oF). They reach a maximum of 11.0 cm (4.3 inches) in length. They are nocturnal predators emerging at night and forming small schools while remaining secluded during the day. They consume small fish and small invertebrates including crab and shrimp. 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 Flamefish 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 Flamefish is a resident of all Mexican waters of the Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico and the east coast of the Yucatán Peninsula in the Caribbean.
The Flamefish can be easily confused with the Oddscale Cardinalfish, Apogon evermanni (small black spot followed by smaller white spot at base of second dorsal fin), the Twospot Cardinalfish, Apogon pseudomaculatus (tail spot, if present, round and not elongated; straight caudal fin margin), and the Whitestar Cardinalfish, Apogon lachneri (dark second half of anal and dorsal fins). Note: the Flamefish is virtually identical to the Twospot Cardinalfish in both appearance and morphology. I have differentiated the two species presented in this website based on the tail shape, i.e. lunate versus straight. Since the majority of these fish come with incomplete markings including the bars through the eyes and the spotting at the base of the tail, DNA profiles of each are needed to confirm their identities without dispute. I also believe that there is a possibility that the DNA profiles will indicate that they are actually one and the same species.
From a conservation perspective the Flamefish are currently considered to be of Least Concern with stable widely distributed populations. The highly invasive Red Lionfish, Pterois volitans, recently introduced in the Caribbean, are known to consume Flamefish. The Flamefish are utilized in the aquarium trade as they are easy to maintain, however they tend to fade in color and are known to be aggressive toward other tank mates. They can spawn in captivity but most of their fry do not survive. They are readily available for purchase via the internet.