Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)
Key facts
- Scientific name
- Sphaeramia nematoptera
- Common name
- Pajama cardinalfish
- Category
- Fish
- Family
- Apogonidae
- Genus
- Sphaeramia
- Size
- 7–9 cm
- Depth
- 1–15 m
- IUCN status
- Least concern (LC)
- Danger level
- Harmless
- Habitats
- coral-reef
- Behaviours
- schooling
- Ocean zones
- Asian Pacific, Indian Ocean & Red Sea
Description
Sphaeramia nematoptera reaches 9 cm. Small cardinalfish with distinctive stocky rounded body: bright yellow-orange head with large red eyes, central part crossed with vertical black band, rear body cream-white scattered with irregular dark spots (hence pajama). Lives in dense daytime motionless schools from 1 to 15 m under table corals and branching coralligenous of coral reefs of central Indo-Pacific. Nocturnal, comes out to hunt zooplankton. Male mouth brooding. Iconic wide-angle photo subject in tight school. Classic of marine aquariums.
Frequently asked questions
- How big is the Pajama cardinalfish?
- Pajama cardinalfish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) reaches 7–9 cm in length.
- At what depth can you find the Pajama cardinalfish?
- Pajama cardinalfish is found between 1–15 m deep.
- Is the Pajama cardinalfish dangerous to divers?
- Danger level: Harmless.
- What is the conservation status of the Pajama cardinalfish?
- IUCN status: Least concern (LC).
- Where can you find the Pajama cardinalfish?
- Found in: Asian Pacific, Indian Ocean & Red Sea.
Other species in the family Apogonidae
- Apogon imberbis - Cardinal fish
- Pterapogon kauderni - Banggai cardinalfish
- Siphamia tubifer - Urchin cardinalfish
- Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus - Five-lined cardinalfish
- Apogonichthyoides melas - Black cardinalfish
- Ostorhinchus compressus - Ochre-striped cardinalfish
Sources
- Taxonomy: WoRMS (AphiaID 278349)
- Photos: iNaturalist (CC BY-NC)
- Distribution: GBIF (taxonKey 2396947)
- Conservation: IUCN Red List
- Encyclopedia: Wikipedia