Cardinal fantôme, Ghost cardinal, Ghost cardinalfish, Gray cardinalfish, Samoan cardinalfish, Spook-kardinaal, Namida-tenjikudai, ナミダテンジクダイ, 侧纹天竺鲷, 魔鬼天竺鯛,

Synonymes
Apogon savayensis (Günther, 1872)
Apogon savyensis (Günther, 1872)
Ostorhinchus savayensis (Günther, 1872)

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Description
Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8. Pectoral fin rays: 13-14 (usually: 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: 6; Median predorsal scales: 3 (rarely: 2); Circumpeduncular scale rows: 12 (5 + 2 + 5); Total gill rakers: 24-31 (usually: 29), 25–30 (usually: 27) well developed, upper arch 2 + 5 (0-3 + 5-8), lower arch 22 + 0 (18-22 + 0-1). 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, base of pelvic fin with two large weakly ctenoid scales, no axillary scale, ctenoid scales on base and behind pectoral fin. Pored lateral-line scales complete, fourth scale with two pores above and one pore below main canal. Max. length: 10.0 cm SL. Depth range: 3 - 25 m. 

Color
Head, body and fins without stripes; Head with broad dark oblique cheek mark from eye to angle of preopercle, lachrymal and anterior infraorbital with yellowish mark, iris brownish with white inner ring; Head and body a uniform bronze to brownish background becoming silvery below eye and on abdomen, sometimes with faint pale bars on side or a saddle under the second dorsal fin; Caudal peduncle with a dark basicaudal mark mostly above pored lateral-line scales, absent below pored lateral-line scales, partial pale region just anterior to peduncle mark; First dorsal fin with dusky distal membranes between spines II–IV, second dorsal with dusky membranes between the spine and second ray, anal fin with whitish second spine and first anal ray, pectoral and pelvic rays pale, edge of caudal fin whitish with blackish interior line, rest of fin 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).
savayensis: from the name Savai'i or Savaii. The largest and highest island in Samoa.
Original description: Apogon savayensis Günther, 1872 - Type locality: Savai'i Island, Samoa; Manado, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Distribution
Indo-West Pacific: East Africa, Madagascar and Mascarenes east to Line Islands and Pitcairn Group, north to Ryukyu (Japan) and Wake islands, south to Australia, New Caledonia and Tonga.

Biology
Found in protected coastal and seaward reef slopes in oceanic locations; Secretive and rarely seen during daytime. Feeds on ostracods, amphipods, shrimps, and polychaetes. Mouthbrooders. Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning.

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).
Nectamia luxuria (Fraser, 2008) - Reported from New Caledonia - A Nectamia with no dark saddle on body below the second dorsal fin, many pale bars on body, caudal peduncle with an incomplete dark wide bar, mostly above the lateral line, caudal fin with dark margins, subocular mark, thin and triangular.
Nectamia viria (Fraser, 2008) - Reported from New Caledonia.