Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) >
Kurtiformes (Nurseryfishes, cardinalfishes.) >
Apogonidae (Cardinalfishes) > Apogoninae
Etymology: nivosa: Name from Latin adjective 'nivosus', meaning snowy; referring to numerous whitish spots on the body..
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 15 - 48 m (Ref. 93673). Tropical
Western Pacific: Palau, the Marshall Islands and Fiji; expected elsewhere in the Caroline Islands and from Indonesia, New Guinea and other islands to Fiji.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 2.9 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 93673)
Short description
Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
Dorsal spines (total): 8 - 9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 8 - 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 24. This species is distinguished by the following: usually 3-7 pored lateral-line scales and 12-14 gill rakers and rudiments; body scale margins uniform; body pale yellowish brown, suffused with red especially on head and ventrally on body, with numerous white spots outlined in red, no bars on head, body or peduncle; axil of pectoral fin without spot; 3 or more whitish basicaudal spots; second dorsal, anal and caudal fins pale reddish with small white spots, the membranes translucent (Ref. 93673).
Collected in Halimeda beds in 15-27 meters and in one collection, it included species of Padina, Caulerpa, and Dictyota (Ref. 93673).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Mouthbrooders. Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning (Ref. 205).
Fraser, T.H. and J.E. Randall, 2011. Two new species of Foa (Apogonidae) from the Pacific Plate, with redescriptions of Foa brachygramma and Foa fo. Zootaxa 2988:1-27. (Ref. 93673)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature (Ref.
123201): 26.1 - 28.9, mean 27.5 °C (based on 80 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5039 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01479 (0.00690 - 0.03171), b=3.09 (2.91 - 3.27), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.2 ±0.5 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).