- Check the sub-map for the specimen information files -
CARDINALFISH - APOGONIDAE
All of the two hundred and fifty different cardinalfish live in tropical or temperate waters. They are seen in many different environments but many species are only found in one type of surrounding. Cardinalfish are not distance swimmers which is why they mostly hang around the same area; sometimes in groups of more than a hundred individuals hidden between coral-branches. They start to come out and hunt individually just after sunset. Only the Cheilodipterus sp. are predators while, the rest feed on plankton. Some of them live between the spines of sea urchins, crown of thorns, or above anemones, but most hang out around rocks or between corals. A few species can be found in brackish water where they typically hide between grasses or underneath jetties. Some cardinalfish are very difficult to determine underwater because of ‘look-a-likes’. The tropical water cardinalfish mate during spring, while their cold water family reproduce during the summer months. Mating happens during the night or early mornings. The male keeps up to three hundred eggs in his mouth till they hatch. This is probably why the head of the males is bigger than the females. During this time, the males do not eat. Often the males are observed with a swollen throat and seen close-up, it can be noticed that this is because the egg mass is sheltered in the mouth. When the young come out, they stay close to the father for a few weeks so they have a place to hide when in danger. However when they are old enough, the small fish seek protection close to poisonous invertebrates.
- Check the sub-map for the specimen information files -