| This family of the order Percopsiformesis
made up of mostly marine species. Species of this family are
characterized by having a maximum length of 200 mm but most average 100
mm. They have dorsal fins separate. First dorsal fin with 6-8 spines;
8-14 soft rays in the second. Spines in anal fin 2; soft rays 8-18.
Although most have ctenoid scales, some have cycloid and some are
scaleless. Males are mouthbrooders. Most species nocturnal,
feeding on zooplankton and small benthic invertebrates.
They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific
oceans.
There are fossils that date back to the Lower
Tertiary.
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This family has one genus
that contains at least one species, Apogon imberbis, that plays a major
role in marine caves of the eastern Atlantic by transferring large amounts
of energy into those caves (Bussotti et al. 2003). A.
imberbis is a nocturnal schooling species. |