Apsilus
Apsilus is a small genus of marine ray-finned fish, snappers belonging to the family Lutjanidae. The two species within the genus are native to the Atlantic Ocean, Characteristics. The two species within the genus "Apsilus" are medium-sized snappers with fusiform bodies, the body can be slender or relativeliy deep but these are robist fishes. The jaws are equipped with moderatelly sized teeth which are conical or bristle shaped and which are arranged in bands with the outer row enlarged. They have a continuous dorsal fin which is not notched where the spiny and soft-rayed parts meet . The dorsal fin has 10 spines and 9 or 10 soft rays while the anal fin has 3 spines and 8 soft rays.The dorsal and anal fins are lacking in scales while the caudal fin is scaled, the caudal fin may be forked or emarginate. Distribution. "Apsilus" fishes are found in the Atlantic Ocean, the African forktail snapper has been reported from the Indian Ocean but these reports are questionable. Habitat and biology. "Apsilus" snappers inhabit waters with depths between , typically over rocky substrates. They may be encountered as solitary fish or in aggregations and they feed on small  fish, squid, benthic crustaceans and more sizeable zooplankton. Species. The following currently recognized species make up the genus "Apsilus": Systematics and etymology. "Apsilus" was created in 1830 when the French zoologist Achille Valenciennes described "A. fuscus" from the Cape Verde Islands. In 1980 when G. David Johnson designated the subfamily Apsilinae within the Lutjanidae he used "Apsilus" as its type genus. "Apsilus"is formed the word "a" meaning "not" and "psilos" meaning "naked" or "bald", Valenciennes did not explain what this name alludes to but these fishes have scales on the caudal fin, but none of the other fins are scaled