All fish / Apogonidae

Ochre-striped cardinalfish

Ostorhinchus compressus

Also known as ochre striped cardinalfish, ochre-striped cardinal, split-banded cardinalfish, blue-eyed cardinalfish, blue eye cardinal, compressed cardinalfish, apogon compressus, タイワンマトイシモチ, 褐带鹦天竺鲷, 扁天竺鲷

This cardinalfish has a pale body crossed lengthways by thin ochre to brown stripes that break into spots near the tail, and large eyes with a striking blue sheen. It is calm, hardy and hangs quietly near rockwork or branching corals, which makes it a good choice for peaceful reef tanks.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

10 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

150 litres

Keep as

Pair or small group of 3 to 6

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, chopped seafood, small frozen foods and quality pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

5 to 8 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia, Solomon Islands and Japan (Ryukyus)

Breeding

Males are mouthbrooders that hold the egg mass in their mouths for about a week or more until the larvae hatch. Spawning sometimes happens in aquariums, but rearing the tiny planktonic larvae is hard and seldom done.

Good to know

It is largely nocturnal and shy, so it may hide during the day and can lose out to boisterous feeders. It may eat very small shrimps and can be bullied by aggressive tankmates.