Banggai Cardinalfish

The Banggai Cardinalfish is endemic (Native to a certain region) to the Banggai Archipelago, which is located in Indonesia. They have, however, been introduced to other regions to support the life reef trade. Commonly found in shallow waters near coral reefs and sea grass beds. This cardinalfish is different from others as it has a tasseled dorsal fin, as well as elongated anal and secondary dorsal fins. Each fish has their unique dot pattern which can be used to identify individuals.

Males and females are slightly sexually dimorphic, with males having a larger gape in relation to their overall body size. In the wild, they feed mainly on copapods, but have been seen eating planktonic organisms if they are in abundance.

These fish typically have a lifespan of 2.5 to 3 years, but there are instances where they lived up to 5. Parental care is also a unique feature of these fish, the males of the species are the ones to take care of the eggs. They brood and hatch the eggs within the mouth of the males, and they are only released when they reach the juvenile stage.

The Banggai Cardinalfish, are currently facing large issues that are leading to the decline of their populations. Due to their unique look, they are very commonly harvested commercially for the reef trade, which do to the need led to them also being introduced into non-native areas. Additionally similarly to other animals, they face massive habitat loss, mainly from the use of fertilizers and pesticides.