Yellowstriped Cardinalfish

About

The yellowstriped cardinalfish (Apogon cyanosoma) is a small but attractive Indo-Pacific species whose range stretches from the Persian Gulf and Red Sea all the way east to Fiji and south to New Caledonia. One of the broader distributions in its family. In the wild, these fish gravitate toward sheltered lagoons and the calmer sections of seaward reefs, where they gather in loose groups under ledges, in rocky holes, or tucked among the long spines of sea urchins for protection. That social behavior translates well to the aquarium: keeping a small group rather than a solitary specimen tends to produce more natural, relaxed fish. As carnivores, they feed on planktonic crustaceans and small invertebrates in nature, so meaty foods like mysis, copepods, and enriched brine shrimp are the right direction in captivity. They've been successfully bred in aquariums, which is a mark of a species that adapts reasonably well to aquarium life, though their intermediate care rating reflects the attention to water quality and appropriate tankmates that reef fish generally demand. They're reef-safe, relatively peaceful, and compact enough that a modest-sized system can work. Provided it's mature and stable.