Rib Bar Cardinalfish

This species is distinguished by the following: 2 brownish stripes on head and body in life, mid-lateral stripe extending to tip of caudal fin, with variable vertical bars from ventral edge beginning just past the pectoral fin, dorsal stripe from snout to over eye, ending about middle of second dorsal fin, but not past the second dorsal-fin base; roof of mouth and upper gill arches are dark; pectoral fin rays 15, rarely 16; well developed gill rakers17-20, rarely 16 or 21; total gill rakers and rudiments 21-23, rarely 19-20; first dorsal spines 7 (Ref. 58479).

Dorsal spines (total): 8; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Analspines: 2; Analsoft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 24

Found over open bottom. Sold in fish markets as part of trawl catches and utilized as food in the Philippines and India (Ref. 58479). Solitary or in small groups (Ref 90102).

分布於印度-西太平洋區，西起東印度的大陸緣，東至台灣及新幾內亞。台灣分布於東北部海域。

無任何經濟價值。

體長圓而側扁。頭大。吻長。眼大。鰓蓋角外圍呈鋸齒狀。D. VII-I，9；A. II，8。與四線天竺鯛(/Apogon fasciatus/)極為相似，常被誤鑑，其不同於體側中央縱帶下方另連有至少6條以上之粗短橫帶，而四線天竺鯛則無或具13-15條不明顯之細紋。

主要棲息於礁石散布的砂泥底質海域。以多毛類或其它底棲無脊椎動物為食。