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Related
FAQs: Cardinals 1, Cardinals 2, & FAQs on: Cardinal ID, Cardinal
Behavior, Cardinal Compatibility,
Cardinal Selection, Cardinal Systems, Cardinal Feeding, Cardinal Disease, Cardinal Reproduction, Banggai Cardinals, Banggai ID, Banggai
Behavior, Banggai
Compatibility, Banggai
Selection, Banggai Systems,
Banggai Feeding, Banggai Disease, Banggai Reproduction,
Related Articles: Cardinalfishes of
Indonesia,
/A Diversity of Aquatic
Life
Cardinalfishes,
Family Apogonidae, Pt. 1 Part 2,
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By Bob Fenner
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Pterapogon kauderni
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It's a shame that Cardinalfishes are so often passed
over as marine aquarium specimens. It's my guess that their
odd-shapes, retiring conduct, and large, all-seeing eyes must lead
aquarists to consider this group as being too 'touchy' for
captive use. Admittedly, the success rate in keeping these fishes
is dismal; but for explainable, correctable
reasons.
Cardinalfishes occupy some of the same niches on the
reef and in aquariums as the damsels (family Pomacentridae);
biologically, they're principal forage fishes for piscivores;
commercially they're plentiful, easily captured, and transport
well; resulting in their being relatively inexpensive to acquire.
Securing decent specimens, maintaining them in a small
school, and granting them a few provisions will reward you with hardy,
interesting and long-term specimens.
Systematics:
Cardinalfishes, family Apogonidae
("Ap-oh-gahn-id-ee") are members of the largest Order of
fishes, the Perciformes. They are one of the largest families of fishes
with about 27 genera and 250 species. The Cardinals are further
subdivided into two families (the deepwater Epigonidae) and
sub-families depending on whose taxonomic scheme you favor. Hobbyists
are generally offered a half dozen members of the largest genus
Apogon and the Pajama (S. orbicularis) and Blackbelt
Cardinals of the genus Sphaeramia.
Many Cardinalfishes are reddish in color (hence their
common name) mixed with silver and white, though most species are
yellow, silvery and black. All have large eyes, and are nocturnal;
hiding in crevices or beneath ledges by day (typically with
Squirrelfishes, Bigeyes and sweepers). These are mostly shallow water
fishes, found from the surface to about 100 meters.
Species of Interest/Use to
Aquarists:
Genus Apogon:
| Apogon atrodorsatus Heller & Snodgrass
1903, the Blacktip Cardinalfish. To three and a half inches.
Southeast Pacific; Cocos, Malpelo and Galapagos islands. Like most
apogonids, hides near ledges, overhangs by day, feeds at night.
Galapagos pic. |
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| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked
to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images
to go to the larger size. |
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| Apogon binotatus (Poey
1867), the Barred Cardinalfish. West-Central Atlantic; Florida to
Venezuela. To four inches in length. Bonaire pic. |
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| Apogon bandanensis Bleeker
1854, the Bigeye Cardinalfish. West-Pacific in distribution (this
one in Fiji). To four inches in length. |
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| Apogon cavitensis (Jordan
& Seale 1907), The White-Lined Cardinalfish. To 6.5 cm. West
Central Pacific; below in Raja Ampat. |
| Verticals (Full/Cover
Page Sizes Available) |
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| Apogon compressus (Smith & Radcliffe
1913), the Ochre-Striped Cardinalfish. Western Pacific; Malaysia to
Micronesia down to the GBR. To nearly five inches in length. Often
found as here, amongst branches of Porites
(cylindrica and nigrescens principally). Pulau
Redang, Malaysia and N. Sulawesi pix. |
 
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| Apogon cookii (formerly robustus) Maccleay
1881, Cook's Cardinalfish. Indo-West Pacific including the Red
Sea where the first image was made at night, the other an aquarium
shot. |
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| Apogon cyanosoma Bleeker 1853, the
Yellow-Striped Cardinalfish. Indo-Pacific including the Red Sea. To
three inches in length. One off Australia's Heron Island, Great
Barrier Reef, and a group in shallow water in Fiji. |
 
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to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images
to go to the larger size. |
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| Apogon doederleini Jordan & Snyder 1901,
Doederlein's or Four-Stripe Cardinalfish. Western Pacific in
shallow waters. To five inches in length. This two incher in
Australia. |
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| Apogon fraenatus Valenciennes 1832, the
Bridled Cardinalfish. To four inches in length. Indo-Pacific; from
Durban, South Africa to Tuamotus. Images from Fiji at
night. |
 
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| Apogon hartzfeldii Hatzfeld's
Cardinalfish. Indo-Pacific; Malaysia, PNG, GBR. To four inches
in length. Mabul, Sabah, Malaysia and N. Sulawesi (Lembeh Strait)
pix. |
 
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| Apogon kallopterus Bleeker 1856, the
Iridescent Cardinalfish. Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea (where
this one was photographed at night while foraging). To six inches
in length. A larger specimen out during the day in the Maldives
also shown. |
 
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| Apogon leptacanthus Bleeker 1856-57,
Threadfin Cardinalfish. Indo-Pacific including the Red Sea. To a
little over two inches in length. Found in dense school in the
wild. This group in a friends aquarium. |
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| Apogon maculatus (Poey 1860), Flamefish.
Western Atlantic, Massachusetts to Brazil. To four or so inches in
length. Here are images of the species in the Bahamas during the
day and night. 2-60 feet. |
 
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Apogon margaritophorus Bleeker 1854, the
Red-Striped Cardinal. To. 6.5 cm. Western Central Pacific:
Indo-Malay Archipelago to Solomon Islands. Aq. Pic. http://fishbase.org/Summary/species
Summary.php?ID=58156&genusname=
Apogon&speciesname=margaritophorus |
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| Apogon menesemus Jenkins 1903, Bandfin
Cardinalfish. May be same species (A. taeniopterus) as found
elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific (according to fishbase.org).
Distinguished by bar on caudal according to Randall. Big Island pic
at night. |
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| Apogon (Ostorhinchus) nanus (Allen, Kuiter & Randall
1994). W. Central Pacific. Here in S. Leyte, P.I. 2013 amongst Diadema
setosum spines. |
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Apogon neonotes Allen, Kuiter, Randall 1994.
Mini Cardinalfish. To 2.7 cm. Western Central Pacific: Maumere Bay
(Indonesia), Palau and Madang, Papua New Guinea. Aq. Pic. http://fishbase.org/Summary/species
Summary.php?ID=25049&genusname=
Apogon&speciesname=neotes |
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| Apogon nigrofasciatus Lachner 1953, the
Blackstriped Cardinalfish. Indo-Pacific; Red Sea to the Tuamotus.
This one in Fiji at night. |
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to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images
to go to the larger size. |
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| Apogon pacifici Herre 1935, the Pink
Cardinalfish. Sea of Cortez to Peru. Rock and coral reefs. To 10
cm. in length. Costa Rica (Pacific side)
2011 |
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(desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images to go to
the larger size. |
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| Apogon quadrisquamatus Longley 1934,
Sawcheek Cardinalfish. Western Pacific; Florida to Venezuela. To 7
cm. in length. Bonaire pic at night. |
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| Apogon sealei (Fowler 1918), Seale's
Cardinalfish. Western Pacific; Malaysia to Micronesia. To three
inches in length. One in Redang, Malaysia and a pair in N.
Sulawesi. |
 
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| Bigger PIX: The images in this table are linked
to large (desktop size) copies. Click on "framed" images
to go to the larger size. |
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| Apogon townsendi (Breder
1927), the Barred Cardinalfish. West-Central Atlantic; Florida to
Venezuela. To 6.5 cm. in length. Bonaire pic. |
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Bigger PIX:
The images in this table are linked to large (desktop size) copies.
Click on "framed" images to go to the larger
size.
An unidentified Cardinalfish species in captivity
in aquarium in Sacramento, CA. |
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