All fish / Apogonidae

Banggai Cardinalfish

Pterapogon kauderni

Also known as banggai cardinal, kaudern's cardinalfish, highfin cardinalfish, longfin cardinalfish, banggai cardinal fish, bangaii cardinal, プテラポゴン・カウデルニー, バンガイカーディナル, capungan banggai, ikan banggai, 泗水玫瑰, 巴厘岛天竺鲷

A striking cardinalfish with a silvery body crossed by three bold black bars, tall elongated fins and fine white spots. It is calm, slow moving and hardy, which makes it a favourite for reef tanks, where it often hovers near corals or long-spined urchins.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

A pair or a small group in a larger tank; males can fight

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, enriched brine shrimp, copepods, small frozen and pellet foods

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Banggai Islands, Sulawesi, Indonesia (introduced populations elsewhere in Indonesia)

Breeding

The male is a mouthbrooder, holding the eggs for around three weeks and releasing fully formed young that need no larval stage. This makes it one of the easiest marine fish to breed at home, and captive-bred fish are widely available.

Good to know

Listed as Endangered by the IUCN because wild stocks have been heavily collected, so choose captive-bred fish. Adult males can be aggressive towards each other and fast, boisterous tankmates may outcompete them for food.