All fish / Apogonidae

Gilbert's cardinalfish

Zoramia gilberti

Also known as gilbert's cardinal, gilberts cardinalfish, apogon gilberti, blue-spot cardinalfish, 吉氏天竺鲷

This is a small, see-through cardinalfish with a pale brown body, a bluish silver belly, bright blue spots on the head and front of the body, and a small dark spot at the base of the tail. It lives in groups around branching corals and in sheltered lagoons. Fish keepers like it because it is calm, stays small, does well in reef tanks and looks good swimming as a group.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

110 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, copepods, small frozen foods and fine marine pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Pacific: Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, northern Australia and nearby islands

Breeding

Males brood the eggs in their mouths, the way other cardinalfish do. Pairs sometimes spawn in home aquariums, but the tiny larvae drift in open water and need very small live foods, so raising them is difficult.

Good to know

It is timid, so avoid keeping it with large or aggressive tankmates, and give it branching corals or rockwork to shelter in. It can be confused with other Zoramia species, such as Zoramia leptacantha.