Actinopterygii (Gigaclass) > Actinopteri (Class) > Teleostei (Subclass) > Gobiiformes (Order) > Gobiidae (Family) > Gobiinae (Subfamily) > Fowleria (Genus)

Variegated cardinalfish, Spotted cardinalfish, Peppered cardinalfish, Multi-spotted cardinal-fish, Shibori, シボリ, 多斑乳突天竺鯛,

Synonymes
Amia variegata (Valenciennes, 1832)
Apogon punctulatus (Rüppell, 1838)
Apogon variegatus (Valenciennes, 1832)
Apogon variegatus (Fourmanoir & Crosnier, 1964)
Apogonichthys nafae (Snyder, 1909)
Apogonichthys variegatus (Valenciennes, 1832)

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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 8; Pectoral fin rays: 12-14; Lateral line scales: 23 (23rd overlapping caudal-fin base), the first 10-13 with tubes; Median predorsal scales: 4; Total gill rakers: 3-4 + 11-13; Developed rakers: 1+ 5-6; Rear edge of preopercle ridge smooth, the lower edge membranous and crenulate; Body depth: 2.5-2.95, head length: 2.3-2.4 in SL; Snout length: 4.2-4.5, eye diameter: 3.1-3.8, interorbital width: 5.8-7.05, and upper-jaw length: 1.9-2.0, all in head length; Jaws and vomer with villiform teeth in bands, None on palatines; Caudal peduncle depth: 1.15-1.45 in peduncle length, and peduncle length: 4.2-4.7 in SL; Round shaped caudal fin. Max. length: 8.0 cm TL. Depth range: 0 - 27 m.

Color
Reddish brown with black sports in longitudinal rows on sides, and an ocellated black spot on opercle.

Etymology
Fowleria: named in honor of ichthyologist Henry Weed Fowler (1878-1965), Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, and a student of Jordan’s at Stanford University + from Latin suffix, -ia = belonging to.
variegata: from Latin, variego = variegated, Streaked, spotted, speckled, or otherwise marked with a variety of color, very colorful. Referring to reddish body color mottled with “varied cloudy spots”.
Original description: Apogon variegatus Valenciennes, 1832 - Type locality: Mauritius, Mascarenes, southwestern Indian Ocean.

Distribution