Banggai cardinalfish is a small and visually attractive shallow-water reef fish, popular in the marine aquarium trade...
Banggai cardinalfish, also called as Banggai Cardinal and its scientific name Pterapogon kauderni, is a small and visually attractive shallow-water reef fish, popular in the marine aquarium trade.
BANGGAI CARDINALFISH DESCRIPTION
Banggai cardinalfish is endemic to the Banggai Archipelago, eastern Indonesia. It usually inhabits bays on the protected side of the larger islands, but some populations inhabit areas of strong surge and moderate stream. It lives in shallow waters less than 4.5 m deep, commonly between 1.5 and 2.5 m, in a variety of habitats including branching-coral fields, sea grass beds, and less frequently in open habitats (low branching corals and rubble).
Juveniles associate with sea grasses, sea urchins, sea stars, sea anemones, soft corals and corals. Adults shelter between the spines of sea urchins but also among anemones, corals, stony hydrozoans, rocks and artificial structures such as jetties.
Pterapogon kauderni can grow up to 8 cm in length with a silver body and three large vertical black bands, highlighting a small constellation of white spots between the second and the third band. It is easily differentiated from all other cardinalfishes by its tasseled first dorsal fin, elongated anal and second dorsal fin rays, deeply forked caudal fin, and color pattern consisting of three black bars across the head and body and prominent black anterior edges on the anal and second dorsal fin.
The male can be differentiated from the female by a conspicuous, enlarged oral cavity, which is apparent only when they are brooding.
BANGGAI CARDINALFISH CARE
Banggai cardinalfish are reef safe and need the tank of minimum 30 gallons with water temperature of 24-26ºC, pH level of 8.0-8.4 and specific gravity of 1.020 -1.025. They will not pick at corals or other invertebrates and are safe to keep with any invertebrates that won’t bother them.
In the home aquarium, it is important to maintaining Banggai Cardinalfish in good sized groups (8 or more) due to their gregarious nature. Try to obtain fish that are the same size and add all simultaneously.
It is a peaceful fish, but will pick on their own kind on occasion and are very reclusive when boisterous fish are present. Be sure to provide a dark, ledge like shelter under which they can hide, and lower the lighting when first settling them into their new home, in order to reduce stress. They are mainly nocturnal, and so will appreciate low lighting conditions.
Pterapogon kauderni is a carnivore. Therefore, there is always the chance that it will try to prey on smaller fish or other creatures in your tank. However, they can sometimes be a little picky when it comes to their diet. Therefore, it’s generally a good idea to try a few different things out when feeding them for the first time. They will thrive best when fed live or frozen brine shrimp, and frozen mysis shrimp. Feed small amounts 3 times per day, with at least one of the feeds after lights out.
BANGGAI CARDINALFISH BREEDING
It is possible to breed Pterapogon kauderni in captivity. The chances of costs will be higher if you have a small group in which couples will form naturally. There are some change in behavior in the couple, 2 or 3 days before they spawn. The Courtship itself is initiated by the female, who displays behaviors that include body vibration, "positioning" in parallel with the male, and also occasional touches flank against flank. During this same period, the male can perform certain characteristic "yawns". Mating pairs establish spawning territories several meters away from the main group and vigorously defend them.
The laying takes place after a nocturnal parade. It comprises no more than 90 eggs. After spawning, the male will collect its eggs in its mouth and let them incubate. Males also have the ability to detect dead eggs and expel them from their mouths. The male broods the eggs in his mouth up to 30 days, during which he does not feed. This is normal behavior and you shouldn’t worry about it.
Once they hatch, the larvae remain in the oral cavity of the male about ten days more. When the larvae are finally released, we can see that they are already tiny replicas of their parents. They are vigorous, photophilic and remain close to the surface and close to the light source. They constantly look for food near the surface and mid- water. Well fed the growth is appreciated right away. Newly released offspring is able to eat relatively large prey like rotifers and brine shrimp nauplii. Whenever possible, enrichment of rotifer or Artemia nauplii with Omega 3 and probiotics would be effective.
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