Apsilus
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| Apsilus | |
|---|---|
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| Apsilus fuscus | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Acanthuriformes |
| Family: | Lutjanidae |
| Subfamily: | Apsilinae |
| Genus: | Apsilus Valenciennes, 1830[1] |
| Type species | |
| Apsilus fuscus Valenciennes, 1830[1] | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
|
Tropidinius Poey 1868 | |
Apsilus is a small genus of marine ray-finned fish, snappers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. The two species within the genus are native to the Atlantic Ocean,[2]
The two species within the genus Apsilus are medium-sized snappers with fusiform bodies, the body can be slender or relatively deep but these are robust fishes. The jaws are equipped with moderately sized teeth which are conical or bristle shaped and which are arranged in bands with the outer row enlarged. They have a continuous dorsal fin which is not notched where the spiny and soft-rayed parts meet. The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 9 or 10 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays. The dorsal and anal fins are lacking in scales while the caudal fin is scaled, the caudal fin may be forked or emarginate.[3]
Distribution
Habitat and biology
Apsilus snappers inhabit waters with depths between 30 and 300 m (98 and 984 ft), typically over rocky substrates. They may be encountered as solitary fish or in aggregations and they feed on small fish, squid, benthic crustaceans and more sizeable zooplankton.[3]