Cardinalfish ID

Ok, My shripgoby was too easy. This one should be more of a challenge.

Hmmm... That's hard indeed. I can't find any match on my Fishes of the Great Barrier reef. It appears that this was taken at night, is that right? If so, they change color at night, so this is probably red during the day. Can I forward it to a friend?

Yep, it's at night. My guess is that it is a species that is cryptic during the day and only out at night.

Forward away.....

Here is the answer for the greatest expert of all times (Jack Randall):

"Luiz:

The apogonid is a species of what Fraser (1972) placed in the subgenus

Pristiapogon. I follow Bergman (PhD thesis, 2004) in raising Fraser's

subgenera to genera. Fraser and Lachner (1985) revised Pristiapogon. My

guess is the fish is either an unusually pale P. exostigma or a new species.

Dark markings can be subdued at night in Pristiapogon, but I have never seen

exostigma where the stripe and caudal=base spot are completely gone. P.

abrogramma has no caudal-base spot, but it is confined to the W Indian

Ocean."

Do you have more photos?

Wow, if Randall isnt sure I think I should just give up...

I have one other shot of it. I'll post it in a minute.....only have a raw....must convert to jpg.