Philippine Cardinalfish

Facts about the Philippine Cardinalfish, it is a fish species that belongs to the genus Gymnapogon of the Apogonidae family. The binomial name of the fish is Gymnapogon africanus and it is also commonly called the Red-nose Cardinalfish. This Philippine Cardinalfish species is indigenous to the Indo-West Pacific Ocean and the central Pacific Ocean, where they can be seen largely in reefs and nearby home types. In the Pacific Ocean, the Philippine Cardinalfish are largely found in Taiwan, Philippines, Ryukyu Islands, Kapingamarangi Islands, and Marshall Islands and in the southern parts of Australia. Recent reports confirmed that these Philippine Cardinalfish species also found in the Chesterfield Islands.

The Philippine Cardinalfish is a small fish that has a body length not more than 2 inches (5 centimeters), and it has a semitransparent body with no scales. The Philippine Cardinalfish has a total of 7 dorsal spines and 9 dorsal soft rays and 2 anal spines and 8 anal soft rays.

As the Philippine Cardinalfish is a small fish, it is difficult to see in waters when it occasionally occurs in groups. These Philippine Cardinalfish species have a separate pairing at the time of courtship and spawning. The Philippine Cardinalfish mostly lives in the reef-related, marine, at a depth of 29.7 feet (9 meters).

One more interesting feature regarding the Philippine Cardinalfish is that it is a mouth brooder. Subsequent to the fertilization of eggs, the male fish will pick them up and protect the eggs in his mouth pending they hatch. Following the hatching of eggs, the male fish will split the juvenile fish out and they will be on their own way.

The Philippine Cardinalfish is a nonviolent and an outstanding option for new sea aquarium hobbyists. The Philippine Cardinalfish are fond of to hanging out in small schools that include 5 or more fish species and they are habitually found hovering in one place close to coral structures or caves. These Philippine Cardinalfish species have eyes of sufficient size and at night hours they split off from their schools and look for food by themselves.

As the Philippine Cardinalfish has a small body size, it needs only smaller aquariums with the minimum capacity of 30 gallons or more than that. Due to their nonviolent nature they are not supposed to be kept with violent fish. However, the Philippine Cardinalfish need the water temperature than ranges from 72 degrees Fahrenheit to 78 degrees Fahrenheit, with the pH value between 8.1 and 8.4 with the specific gravity between 1.014 to 1.025. In the aquarium, these Philippine Cardinalfish species need less lighting and a number of hiding places for shelter. The Philippine Cardinalfish are an ideal fish species for the coral reef aquarium.

The Philippine Cardinalfish is an attractive fish that is fashionable in the aquarium trade. It is in the middle of the fairly few sea fish to have been developed frequently in captivity, but considerable numbers are still caught the wild and it is an endangered fish species at present.

In the wild, the Philippine Cardinalfish will feed on a range of diverse food types. In the wild, the Philippine Cardinalfish mostly feeds on small crustaceans that they hunt. In the aquarium, these Philippine Cardinalfish species are nourished with a fleshy diet of freezing food, like brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. However, they are also fed with flake food and pellets.