Banggai Cardinalfish care guide
Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) — minimum tank 100 L, temperature 24-28 °C, pH 8-8.4.
Overview
The Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is a small reef fish with a silvery body crossed by three black bars and white-edged elongated fins covered with bright white spots. It is the sole species of its genus and is restricted to a tiny natural range.
Taxonomy
- Family: Apogonidae
- Genus: Pterapogon
- Scientific name: Pterapogon kauderni
- Common synonyms: Kaudern's Cardinalfish
Habitat
Endemic to a small archipelago around the Banggai Islands in central Indonesia, where it occurs in shallow sheltered seagrass and coral-rubble habitats at 0.5-5 metres depth. Juveniles shelter among the spines of long-spined sea urchins (Diadema setosum) and anemones.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L (26.4 US gal)
- Adult size: 6-8 cm
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 8-8.4
- GH: 8-12 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
- Salinity: SG 1.024-1.026
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-12
- School size: ≥3 individuals
Diet
A diurnal micropredator that takes small zooplankton, copepods and amphipods from the water column. In aquaria it accepts frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp, marine pellets and quality flake; offer several small daily feedings.
Compatibility
Peaceful with most tankmates but intraspecifically aggressive; pairs aggressively exclude additional adults from their territory. Best maintained as a single individual or as a bonded pair in any but very large tanks. Suitable companions include clownfish, Royal Gramma, Yellowtail Damsel, gobies and small wrasses.
Reef compatibility
Reef-safe. Does not harm corals or sessile invertebrates and typically hovers above the rockwork; pairs with the long-spined urchin Diadema or anemones in nature, but these hosts are not essential in captivity.
Breeding
A paternal mouthbrooder. The male incubates around 30-90 eggs in his buccal cavity for roughly 25 days and continues to shelter the fully formed juveniles for several additional days; no pelagic larval phase exists, which makes captive breeding particularly practical.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Endangered. The natural range is exceptionally small and wild populations have declined sharply due to the aquarium trade; captive-bred stock is widely available and is strongly preferred over wild-caught individuals.