All fish / Apogonidae

Threadfin Cardinalfish

Zoramia leptacantha

Also known as bluestreak cardinalfish, threadfin cardinal, blue streak cardinal, slender-spined cardinalfish, apogon leptacanthus, longspine cardinalfish, スカシテンジクダイ, capungan, 细刺鹦天竺鲷, 细棘天竺鲷

A small, see-through cardinalfish with a gold-ringed eye, fine blue and orange lines on the head, and long threadlike spines on the first dorsal fin. It hovers calmly in groups among branching corals and suits peaceful reef tanks well.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Carnivore: mysis, brine shrimp, copepods, finely chopped seafood and small pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific: Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa, north to Japan, south to Australia

Breeding

Males brood the eggs in their mouths until they hatch, and pairs form readily in groups. Spawning in captivity is fairly common, but rearing the tiny planktonic larvae is hard and needs live rotifers or copepods.

Good to know

Stays small and can be eaten by larger predators such as groupers, lionfish or big wrasses. Avoid boisterous tankmates and give some sheltered spots with dim areas.