Description
Also known as Banggai Cardinal, Banggai Emperor, Emperor Cardinalfish, Kaudern's Cardinal, Kaudern's Cardinalfish, Longfin Cardinalfish, Nurseryfish.
Found in schools, often seen during the day, sheltering in the spines of the Long-spined Sea Urchin - Diadema Setosum, also sea anemones, and branching corals, over mud and sandy bottoms and seagrass beds, of shallow coastal waters.
They feed nocturnally on bottom dwelling crustaceans and zooplankton.
Length - 8cm
Depth - 0-16m
Western Pacific - Banggai Islands and central-east Sulawesi in Indonesia.
These cardinalfish swim amongst the spines of the Spiny Sea Urchin - Diadema setosum
http://www.whatsthatfish.com/fish/spiny-sea-urchin/332
Threatened with extinction due to collection for the aquarium trade!
Males incubate their eggs inside their mouths, as the egg masses increase in size they can be found with wide open mouths where they shift the eggs around to aerate the egg masses. (edit)
Ref: https://www.fishbase.se/summary/15426
1 comment
Posted by trevor dayhi guys, the first picture is definitely not a Banggai Cardinalfish cheers