About Apogon imberbis (Linnaeus, 1758)
Apogon imberbis has a compressed, ovate body with a large head. Its very large eye is much larger than the snout. It has a large, oblique mouth with a protruding lower jaw, which bears rows of small villiform teeth on the mandible, palatine, and vomer. The preopercular margin is only slightly serrated, while the preopercular ridge is smooth. The pectoral fin is long, reaching at least to the origin of the anal fin, and the caudal fin has slight emargination. Its scales are large and ctenoid, with 22 to 30 scales along the lateral line. The body and fins are colored red or pink, and are duskier on the back and upper surface of the head. There are two or three dark spots, which may occasionally be joined, along the base of the caudal fin. The maximum recorded standard length of this species is 15 cm, though 10 to 12 cm is the more common size. It has two dorsal fins with a total of 7 spines and 9 to 10 soft rays. Its anal fin has 2 spines and 8 to 9 soft rays. Apogon imberbis is widely distributed in the eastern Atlantic, ranging from Gibraltar and southern Portugal to Angola. This range includes the Canary Islands, Madeira, Azores, Cape Verde Islands, and the islands of the Gulf of Guinea. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea, but does not extend north into the Black Sea. Apogon imberbis is occasionally used as bait for hook-and-line fishing, and is consumed by humans in some parts of its range. It is also occasionally traded in the aquarium trade.
