''Ozichthys'' is a

monotypic genus In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...

cardinalfish Cardinalfishes are a family, Apogonidae, of ray-finned fishes found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans; they are chiefly marine, but some species are found in brackish water and a few (notably '' Glossamia'') are found in fresh water. A ...

, which was named and characterized in 2014. Its sole

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

, ''Ozichthys albimaculosus'' (also known as the cream-spotted cardinalfish), is found in tropical

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and southern

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

Taxonomy and description

Originally described as ''Foa albimaculosus'' in 1976, ''Ozichthys albimaculosus'' is included in the

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

containing ''Apogonichthys'', ''Foa'', ''Fowleria'', and ''Neamia''. Members of the family Apogonidae are of the suborder

Percoidei Percoidei is one of 3 suborders of bony fishes in the order Perciformes. Many commercially harvested fish species are considered to be contained in this suborder, including the snappers, groupers, basses, goatfishes and perches. Divisions The ...

. Apogonids characteristically have large heads and an ellipsoidal body. ''Ozichthys'' shares a number of other similar features with other members of the clade. These include aspects of head pigmentation and the colouration of fins along the body and vertical aspects are similar as well. Finally, each pored lateral-line scale demonstrates one pore oriented above the raised median canal and another below. Features distinguishing the genus ''Ozichthys'' from other similarly colored apogonids include the number of spines on the first dorsal fin. There are sawtooth edges along the lower cheek bones. The bones supporting the first and second caudal fin rays are fused. In addition, principal caudal fin-rays show sixteen rows of free

neuromasts The lateral line, also called the lateral line organ (LLO), is a system of sensory organs found in fish, used to detect movement, vibration, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. The sensory ability is achieved via modified epithelial ...

. The posterior orbits have more than three flute canals. The first

dorsal fin A dorsal fin is a fin located on the back of most marine and freshwater vertebrates within various taxa of the animal kingdom. Many species of animals possessing dorsal fins are not particularly closely related to each other, though through conv ...

shows 8 visible spines. The ninth rib is epineural. The lateral-line scales contain 23–24 pores. There are 9 dorsal spines, 9 dorsal soft rays, 2 anal spines, and 2 anal soft rays.

Distribution and habitat

These

nocturnal Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal", versus diurnal meaning the opposite. Nocturnal creatures generally have highly developed sens ...

fish, which exhibit

external fertilisation External fertilization is a mode of reproduction in which a male organism's sperm fertilizes a female organism's egg outside of the female's body. It is contrasted with internal fertilization, in which sperm are introduced via insemination and then ...

of eggs, and

mouthbrooding Mouthbrooding, also known as oral incubation and buccal incubation, is the care given by some groups of animals to their offspring by holding them in the mouth of the parent for extended periods of time. Although mouthbrooding is performed by a va ...

by males, are found distributed through Australia and Papua New Guinea. Typically, they are found in soft bottom, inshore locations and trawling sites. Pairing is distinct during courtship and

spawning Spawn is the eggs and sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, and the act of both sexes is called spawning. Most aquatic animals, except for aquat ...

. This tropical reef-associated fish typically resides in a depth range of but can also be found as deep as . The maximum total length recorded was an unsexed male measuring .

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q5580965 Apogonidae Monotypic marine fish genera Taxa named by Patricia J. Kailola Fish described in 1976 Taxa named by Thomas H. Fraser