Cardinalfish

110 species

Cardinalfish are a popular choice for reef aquariums due to their striking appearance and peaceful nature. These small, schooling fish are known for their vibrant colors and distinctive body shapes, which often include elongated fins and large eyes. One of the most well-known species is the Pterapogon kauderni, which is easily recognizable by its silver body adorned with black stripes and spots. Another popular species is the Sphaeramia nematoptera, which features a unique pattern of spots and stripes, giving it a 'pajama' look.

Cardinalfish are generally hardy and easy to care for, making them suitable for both beginner and experienced aquarists. They thrive in well-maintained reef tanks with plenty of hiding spots and live rock, which mimic their natural habitat. These fish are nocturnal by nature, so they may be more active during the evening and night hours.

In terms of diet, Cardinalfish are carnivorous and prefer a varied diet of meaty foods such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp, and finely chopped seafood. They can also be trained to accept high-quality flake or pellet foods. It's important to feed them small amounts several times a day to keep them healthy and vibrant.

Breeding Cardinalfish in captivity is possible and has been successfully done by many hobbyists. They are mouthbrooders, meaning the male carries the fertilized eggs in his mouth until they hatch. Providing a stress-free environment and proper nutrition can encourage breeding behavior.

Overall, Cardinalfish are a delightful addition to any reef aquarium, offering both beauty and interesting behavior. Their peaceful temperament allows them to coexist well with other reef-safe fish and invertebrates, making them a versatile choice for community tanks.

  1. Common name: Brazilian flamefish
    Scientific name: Apogon americanus
  2. Stone Scorpionfish, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
    Common name: Blacktip cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon atradorsatus
  3. Common name: Two-spotted cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon binotatus
  4. Common name: Ruby cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon coccineus
  5. Common name: diamond cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon dhofar
  6. Threadfin cardinalfish (Longspine Cardinalfish, Long-spine Cardinal, Zoramia leptacantha) are swimming in marine aquarium
    Common name: Longspine cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon doryssa
  7. Common name: Hawaiian ruby cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon erythrinus
  8. Common name: Guadaloupe cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon guadalupensis
  9. Cardinalfish
    Common name: Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon imberbis
  10. Common name: whitestar cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon lachneri
  11. Common name: Spotted cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon maculatus
  12. Common name: Mimic cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon phenax
  13. Common name: Rearbar cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon posterofasciatus
  14. Common name: Twospot cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon pseudomaculatus
  15. Common name: Sawcheek cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon quadrisquamatus
  16. Common name: Roughlip cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon robinsi
  17. Common name: Obliquebanded cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon semiornatus
  18. pterapogon kauderni - Banggai cardinalfish
    Common name: belted cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogon townsendi
  19. Threadfin cardinalfish,  bluestreak cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacantha).
    Common name: Threadfin Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogonichthyoides cathetogramma
  20. Banggai Cardinalfish swimming among corals
    Common name: Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogonichthyoides melas
  21. Large school of small fish swims under surface of water in the sun rays on dawn. Red sea, Egypt
    Common name: Bullseye cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogonichthyoides nigripinnis
  22. Common name: twobelt cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Apogonichthyoides taeniatus
  23. Girdled Cardinalfish Archamia zosterophora
    Common name: Gon's cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Archamia bleekeri
  24. Common name: Punctate cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Astrapogon puncticulatus
  25. Common name: conchfish
    Scientific name: Astrapogon stellatus
  26. Common name: Allen's Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Cheilodipterus alleni
  27. Wolf Cardinalfish - Cheilodipterus artus
    Common name: Tiger cardinal
    Scientific name: Cheilodipterus artus
  28. Common name: arrowtooth cardinal
    Scientific name: Cheilodipterus lachneri
  29. Common name: Mimic cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Cheilodipterus parazonatus
  30. Five-lined cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus) in Japa
    Common name: Fivelined cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus
  31. Common name: Inshore cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Fibramia lateralis
  32. Indonesia, West Papua, Raja Ampat. Cinnamon clownfish among anemones.
    Common name: Cinnamon Clownfish
    Scientific name: Fibramia thermalis
  33. Common name: Spotcheek cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Fowleria variegata
  34. Common name: Three-saddle cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Nectamia bandanensis
  35. Cardinalfish, Nectamia savayensis, Sulawesi Indonesia
    Common name: Ghost cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Nectamia savayensis
  36. Shotsilk goby Ptereleotris zebra darts around a coral reef aquarium
    Common name: Zebra Dartfish
    Scientific name: Nectamia zebrinus
  37. juvenile splitband cardinalfish fish
    Common name: Striped cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus angustatus
  38. Close up of Short-tooth Cardinalfish -Goldbelly Cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus apogonoides) on the coral reef.
    Common name: Short-tooth cardinal
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus apogonoides
  39. Ringtail Cardinalfish Ostorhinchus aureus
    Common name: Ringtailed cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus aureus
  40. young juvenile cavite cardinalfish fish
    Common name: Yellow cardinal-fish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus cavitensis
  41. yellowlined cardinalfish fish sandy bottom
    Common name: Yellowlined cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus chrysotaenia
  42. Blue-eye Cardinalfish Ostorhinchus compressus
    Common name: Ochre-striped cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus compressus
  43. Orbiculate cardinalfish hover among the roots of a mangrove forest in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Mangrove habitats help support the incredible marine biodiversity found in this tropical region.
    Common name: Chubby cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus cookii
  44. Orange-Lined Cardinalfish Ostorhinchus cyanosoma
    Common name: Yellowstriped cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus cyanosoma
  45. redspot cardinalfish fish
    Common name: Redspot cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus dispar
  46. Common name: Doederlein's cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus doederleini
  47. Candystripe cardinalfish (Osezaki, Shizuoka, Japan)
    Common name: Many-striped cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus endekataenia
  48. Common name: Brassy cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus flavus
  49. Common name: Fukui's Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus fukuii
  50. Common name: Griffin's Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus griffini
  51. silverlined cardinalfish fish
    Common name: Hartzfeld's cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus hartzfeldii
  52. Frostfin Cardinalfish - Ostorhinchus hoevenii
    Common name: Frostfin cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus hoevenii
  53. Common name: Copperstriped cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus holotaenia
  54. Common name: Ishigaki Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus ishigakiensis
  55. Common name: rifle cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus kiensis
  56. Sphaeramia nematoptera (the pajama cardinalfish, spotted cardinalfish, coral cardinalfish or polkadot cardinalfish).
    Common name: Spotted Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus maculiferus
  57. Common name: Pearly cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus margaritophorus
  58. Common name: Blacktail Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus melanoproctus
  59. Yellow Eye Cardinalfish Ostorhinchus moluccensis
    Common name: Moluccan cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus moluccensis
  60. Yelloweyed Cardinalfish Ostorhinchus monospilus
    Common name: Yelloweye Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus monospilus
  61. Common name: Many-lined cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus multilineatus
  62. Banggai cardinalfish in strong water current, healthy, active animal in nano reef marine aquarium, easy to keep popular pet good for beginner, LED actinic blue low light, shallow dof, blur background
    Common name: Dwarf Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus nanus
  63. Common name: Neotenous cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus neotes
  64. A Black-striped Cardinalfish in a shallow reef Boracay Island Philippines
    Common name: Blackstripe cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus nigrofasciatus
  65. Common name: Nine-banded soldierfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus novemfasciatus
  66. Orange-Lined Cardinalfish Ostorhinchus cyanosoma
    Common name: Orange-Lined Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus oxina
  67. Red spotted cardinalfish with eggs in mouth, Apogon parvulus, Papua New Guinea, Pacific ocean
    Common name: Small-Scaled Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus parvulus
  68. 水中を泳ぐ縞模様が美しいキンセンイシモチ
    Common name: Southern orange-lined cardinal fish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus properuptus
  69. Threadfin cardinalfish,  bluestreak cardinalfish (Zoramia leptacantha).
    Common name: Threadfin Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus pselion
  70. redspot cardinalfish fish
    Common name: Redspot cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus rubrimacula
  71. Bargill cardinalfishes, Apagon sealei, Raja Ampat Indonesia.
    Common name: Seale's cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus sealei
  72. Common name: Meteor cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus selas
  73. Stone Scorpionfish, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
    Common name: Blacktip cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus semilineatus
  74. wassinki cardinalfish fish
    Common name: Kupang cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Ostorhinchus wassinki
  75. Schooling Golden sweeper around coral bommie (Ras Mohammed, Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea, Egypt)
    Common name: Pigmy sweeper
    Scientific name: Parapriacanthus ransonneti
  76. Shoal of glassy sweeper fish, Pempheris schomburgkii, with elkhorn coral, underwater in the Caribbean sea, Bocas del Toro, Panama, Central America
    Common name: Glassy sweeper
    Scientific name: Pempheris schomburgkii
  77. Yellowtail sweeper
    Common name: Silver sweeper
    Scientific name: Pempheris schwenkii
  78. Vanikoro sweepers, Pempheris vanicolensis, Raja Ampat Indonesia.
    Common name: Vanikoro sweeper
    Scientific name: Pempheris vanicolensis
  79. Common name: Lateralstripe cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pristiapogon abrogramma
  80. Eyeshadow cardinalfish (Apogon exostigma)
    Common name: Narrowstripe cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pristiapogon exostigma
  81. Common name: Bridled cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pristiapogon fraenatus
  82. Iridescent Cardinalfish (Apogon Kallopterus) Near A Coral Reef; Kona, Island Of Hawaii, Hawaii, United States Of America
    Common name: Iridescent cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pristiapogon kallopterus
  83. Common name: Bandfin cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pristiapogon taeniopterus
  84. Pterapogon kauderni, Banggai cardinal fish in the dark ocean water. Sea fish from Indonesia in Asia. Underwater life, wildlife nature.
    Common name: Redfin cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pristicon rhodopterus
  85. Common name: Three-spot cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pristicon trimaculatus
  86. Common name: White-jawed cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pseudamia amblyuroptera
  87. Common name: Tail-spot cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pseudamia gelatinosa
  88. Common name: Paddlefish cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Pseudamia zonata
  89. Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) isolated in a reef aquarium with blurred background
    Common name: Banggai cardinal fish
    Scientific name: Pterapogon kauderni
  90. スカシテンジクダイとサンゴ礁, Rhabdamia gracilis and coral reef
    Common name: Luminous cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Rhabdamia gracilis
  91. blackfin dartfish (ptereleotris evides)
    Common name: Blackfin Dartfish
    Scientific name: Rhabdamia nigrimentum
  92. Common name: Short siphonfish
    Scientific name: Siphamia fistulosa
  93. Common name: Sea urchin cardinal
    Scientific name: Siphamia mossambica
  94. Tubed siphonfish, Siphamia tubifer, hiding between venomous spines of fire urchin, Asteropyga radiata, Sulawesi Indonesia.
    Common name: Urchin cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Siphamia tubifer
  95. Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera).
    Common name: Pajama cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Sphaeramia nematoptera
  96. Orbiculate cardinalfish hover among the roots of a mangrove forest in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. Mangrove habitats help support the incredible marine biodiversity found in this tropical region.
    Common name: Orbiculate cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Sphaeramia orbicularis
  97. Common name: Twostripe Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia ataenia
  98. Common name: Twinspot cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia biguttata
  99. Bridled Monocle Bream (Scolopsis bilineata)
    Common name: Two-line Monocle Bream
    Scientific name: Taeniamia bilineata
  100. Common name: Buru cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia buruensis
  101. Common name: Bridled Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia fucata
  102. Common name: Lea's Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia leai
  103. Common name: Lined Dartfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia lineolata
  104. Longfin cardinalfish or kaudern's cardinalfish in the aquarium. Pterapogon hauderri.
    Common name: Longfin Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia macroptera
  105. Common name: Mozambique Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia mozambiquensis
  106. Soldatenfisch
    Common name: Crimson Soldierfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia pallida
  107. Girdled Cardinalfish Archamia zosterophora
    Common name: Blackbelted cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Taeniamia zosterophora
  108. Common name: Evermann's Cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Zapogon evermanni
  109. Common name: Fragile cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Zoramia fragilis
  110. Threadfin cardinalfish (Longspine Cardinalfish, Long-spine Cardinal, Zoramia leptacantha) are swimming in marine aquarium
    Common name: Longspine cardinalfish
    Scientific name: Zoramia leptacantha