Narrowstripe Cardinalfish

Distinguished by having the following characteristics: dorsal fin rays VII-I, 9; anal fin rays II, 8; pectoral fin rays 14; pelvic-fin rays I, 5; pored lateral line scales 23; total gill rakers 16-17, developed gill rakers 10-12; circumpeduncular scales 12; predorsal scales 4; body depth 3.0-3.4 in SL (Ref. 93839). Basicaudal spot is centered slightly above the level of the lateral stripe (Ref. 37816). Further characterized by pinkish to pale grey body color; narrow, tapering midlateral stripe; caudal fin base with dark spot that barely touches lateral line on its lower edge (Ref. 90102).

Mouthbrooders (Ref. 240). Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning (Ref. 205).

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 8

Nocturnal species which occurs inshore (Ref. 75154). Feeds on crabs, fish, and polychaetes (Ref. 275).

Found under ledges or among isolated coral heads in silty inner reef areas (Ref. 1602). Solitary and rather rare (Ref. 559). Nocturnal species (Ref. 7300). Often found at base of coral outcrops or under ledges (Ref 90102). Feeds on fishes and invertebrates (Ref. 89972).

分布於印度-太平洋區，西起紅海，東至萊恩群島等，北至台灣、日本，南迄澳洲大堡礁。台灣分布於南部、小琉球、綠島及蘭嶼等。

通常以下雜魚處理，用作魚飼料，有時會曬成小魚乾自家食用，並無任何經濟價值。

體長圓而側扁。頭大。吻長。眼大。D. VII-I，9；A. II，8； P. 13； Ll. 24-25；Tr. 2/7；GR.(1)3+1+9-10(3-5)；Pred. S. 4；HL. 2.47-2.56；BD. 5.13-6.72 in SL；ED. 3.05-3.56；SnL 3.21-3.79；IS 5.09-6.54 all in HL。浸泡酒精後，體色淡黃；腹部較暗。由吻尖端到尾鰭基底有一黑色暗帶；尾鰭基底有一暗斑點且位於縱帶之略上方；第一背鰭前三棘之末稍帶黑色；背鰭、臀鰭亦各有一黑色細線平行基底；胸鰭透明。本種和/A. snyderi/、/A. fraenatus/極類似，都屬於/Pristiapogon/亞屬。 然彼此可以藉極小的形態差異和體色區別。其中/A. snyderi/在體色和背鰭基底有較暗的顏色；而另外兩種其尾柄之圓點位置有別；/A. exostigma/之圓點位於側線終止之稍上方，而/A. fraenatus/則恰位於側線終止之中央。

主要棲息於礁石洞穴或暗礁下方。白天停留在岩礁下方或洞穴內，晚上則外出覓食多毛類以及其它小型底棲無脊椎動物。

P. exostigma from Red Sea, Egypt

Pristiapogon exostigma, also known as Eyeshadow cardinalfish or oneline cardinalfish, is a small (max length is 11 cm) pale ray-finned fish from the family Apogonidae, the cardinalfishes with light-ended black stripe ending in black spot above centre of stripe. It has an Indo-Pacific range which extends from the Red Sea to the Line Islands and Mangareva Islands and south to northern Australia and north to the Ryukyu Islands.

This species spends the day sheltering under rock ledges. They can be found among isolated coral heads in the silty sheltered by reefs. It is a solitary and rather rare, nocturnal species which feeds on fishes and invertebrates. They are mouthbrooders who form pairs when courting.