The Banggai Cardinalfish: A True Marvel Of Coloration

selim12 December 13, 2023 0 Comments

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the Banggai cardinalfish is a small tropical fish in Apogonidae, the only member of its genus. It’s distinctive because of its fascinating colors!

Scientific Name

Habitat

Diet

Apogonidae

Banggai Islands,Indonesia

includes planktonic, demersal, and benthic organisms.

Animal Type

Apogonidae

Size

8 cm

Depth

surface to 16 meters.

Table of Contents

When did Banggai Cardinalfish First Appear?

This species first appeared in the international trade around 1995 or 1996. By 2001, 600,000 to 700,000 fish were exported annually.

Habitat:

It’s mainly found in the Banggai Islands, Indonesia. It has a small geographic range of about (5,500 km2) with only 2.4 million. A small population also occurs off Central Sulawesi in coral reefs. The depth range is from surface to 16 meters.

Appearance and size:

The maximum length is about 8 centimeters. It has a unique tasseled dorsal fin, with second dorsal fin rays. There are black bars across the head and body. The male has an enlarged oral cavity. It can weigh Up to 0.025 pounds.

Banggai Cardinalfish Diet:

Its diet includes planktonic, demersal, and benthic organisms with copepods constitute the bulk of it’s diet.

Reproduction & LifeCycle:

the female is the major player in the reproduction cycle which occurs a few hours before spawning. The eggs are about 2.5 mm in diameter. The young juvenile remains in the male’s mouth cavity for an undetermined period after hatching. The pairs form up to 2 weeks before spawning. The pair tends to be among pairs of the same size.

Is Banggai Cardinal Fish Male Or Female:

Males have two bumps near their pelvic fins while female has one. Easy way to tell the difference.

Behaviour And LifeSpan:

they are known to heavily protect their juveniles just after spawning, the female stays close to the brooding male carrying the eggs in his mouth. The juveniles have a high growth rate increasing weight in the father’s mouth. Banggai cardinalfish live in shallow lagoons in groups that include up to 500 individuals. They are often found near sea urchins. The male doesn’t provide much caring behavior after releasing juveniles as they stay close to their father’s habitat. The species has a short lifespan, reaching around 5 years in optimal conditions in captivity, and perhaps 1 to 2 years in the wild.

The fish retreat among the spines when threatened. They share their original location with various anemonefish and anemone shrimp.

Banggai Cardinalfish Conservation Status:

The fish is heavily threatened by local fishers for the aquarium trade due to it’s magical colorful trade!

In Captivity:

This fish is a popular aquarium trade; appeared in the international trade around 1995. It’s successfully bred in captivity. The price of the trade is $14 U.S. per fish.

Predators:

The biggest threat to this fish is humans and sea urchins, getting plucked from the spines making the bangai cardinalfish an easy meal.

sea urchin:the predator for bangai cardianlfish

Cool Facts:

-Banggai Cardinalfish live longer in the aquarium than in the wild.

-the female mainly approaches the male for mating.

-Juveniles have much larger sizes when they are released to the water column.

How big do Banggai cardinalfish get?

Banggai cardinalfish can grow up to 3 inches in length.

Are Banggai cardinalfish aggressive?

Banggai cardinalfish are generally mild-mannered and non-aggressive, but they can show some defensive behaviors when provoked. However, they can be aggressive towards their own kind when not given enough space for different territories.

What a beautiful fish this is, colored with black and white stripes, this Indonesian cardinalfish is a beauty mystery, plus it’s a rare species in our oceans! Much more efforts are needed to prevent the extinction.