Ostorhinchus fuscus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1825)

Ostorhinchus guamensis (Valenciennes, 1832)

Ostorhinchus guamensis (Bleeker, 1856)
Ostorhinchus nubilus (Garman, 1903)
Ostorhynchus nubilus (Garman, 1903)
Ostorhynchus spongicolus (Smith, 1965)

------------------------

Description
Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8. Pectoral-fin rays: 13; Pelvic fin rays: I, 5; Principal caudal rays: 9 + 8; Pored lateral-line scales: 24; Transverse scale rows above lateral line: 2; Transverse scale rows below lateral line: 5-6 (usually: 5); Median predorsal scales: 3-4; Circumpeduncular scale rows: 12 (5 + 2 + 5); Total gill rakers: 27 (23–29), well developed: 25 (20–25), upper arch 2 + 4 (1-3 + 4-6), lower arch 20 + 0 (17-20 +0-1), second arch with shorter robust gill rakers 4 + 18. Villiform teeth in several rows on the premaxilla; Two rows on the dentary; One row on the palatine and vomer; None on ectopterygoid, endopterygoid or basihyal. Vertebrae: 10+14. Five free hypurals, one pair of slender uroneurals, three epurals, a free parhypural. Three supraneurals, two supernumerary spines on first dorsal pterygiophore. Basisphenoid present. Supramaxilla absent. Posttemporal serrate on posterior margin. Preopercle serrate on vertical and horizontal margins. Infraorbital shelf present on third bone. Scales ctenoid on cheek, subopercle, opercle, nape, isthmus, cycloid on base of pectoral fin and ctenoid behind pectoral fin and rest of body. Pored lateral-line scales complete, simple with single pores extending above and below main canal. No axillary scale at base of pelvic spine. Two large ctenoid scales on base of pelvic fins. Cephalic lateralis pores mostly minipores, a terminal lachrymal pore, a pair of ventral lachrymal pores, an anterior dentary and mental pores, terminal end of supraorbital canal with a large pore near anterior nare, lateral margin of supraorbital canal near posterior nare small, lateral margin of supraorbital canal midway on interorbit with small pores, simple postorbital canal projections with minipores, anterior margin of supratemporal canal smooth, posterior supratemporal canal margin with complex projections and minipores, lateral margin of mandibular canal with many minipores, a small posterior articular pore. Max. length: 11.2 cm TL. Depth range: 1 - 20 m.

Head, body and fins without stripes; Head with dark narrow cheek mark to near angle of preopercle, lachrymal and anterior infraorbital with yellowish mark, iris yellowish with white inner ring; Head and body bronze to brownish background sometimes with faint lighter bars; Caudal peduncle with a diffuse basicaudal spot mostly above pored lateral-line scales, more intense and discrete in young and juveniles; First dorsal fin with dusky membranes between spines II–IV, second dorsal, pectoral, pelvic anal and caudal fins pale.

Etymology
Nectamia: from Greek, nektos = swimming + from Greek, amia, -as = a kind of bonito. Name given by Aristotle to a fish (later name applied to Apogon by Gronow (1763), now a commonly used suffix in the family).
fusca: from Latin, fuscus = dark, dim, dimly lit, black, brown. Referring to its brown body color.

Original description: Apogon fuscus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 - Type locality: Guam, Mariana Islands, western Pacific.

Distribution
Red Sea; Indo-West Pacific: Madagascar and Maldives east to Line Islands and Tuamotu Islands, north to Ryukyu Islands (Japan), south to northern Australia and New Caledonia.

Biology
Common in reef flats and shallow lagoons, but hiding by day within Acropora thickets and other corals, as well as in holes and crevices and emerging at night to forage on free-swimming invertebrates. Also found in sheltered seaward slopes. Feeds on small fishes and benthic invertebrates (e.g. shrimps - alpheids and penaieds; Isopods, copepods, crab larvae, polychaete worms); Relatively close to cover, within about 1-2 m. Mouthbrooders. Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning. Nectamia fusca is of no known commercial interest as a food source, or for the aquarium trade.

Similar species
Nectamia bandanensis (Bleeker, 1854) - Reported from New Caledonia only in Bélep Island and northern lagoon. Max length: 10.0 cm TL. Similar to Nectamia fusca but usually has fewer gill rakers (25-27 versus 28-30).