Cardinal Fish

This species has a pale gray body with a pair of narrow reddish bars on the gill cover. There is a broad dark brown bar on the middle of the side and a small black spot on the middle of the tail base. Lives in groups in reef areas, 2 - 15 m depth.

This species has a mauve body with numerous narrow orange bars. The head is orange and there is a pair of blue stripes through the eye. Also, there is a black spot on the tail base. Lives in groups in reef areas, 2 - 60 m depth.

This species has a pale gray body with silvery highlights. There is a narrow dark midbody bar and variable-sized dark spots on the rear of the body. Lives in groups in mangroves, near debris or beneath docks, 1 - 3 m depth.

This species has a pale red to silver body with darkish scale centers. There is a darkish spot on the gill cover and two smaller spots on the tail base. Also, there is a ragged band below first and second dorsal fins with a saddle in between. Lives solitary or in pairs in reef areas, 3 - 15 m depth.

This species has a dusky yellow orange body with five silver-gray stripes. The lower stripe extends from head onto lower body. Lives either solitary, in pairs or groups in reef areas, 2 - 15 m depth.

This species has a mauve back and a brown midlateral stripe with yellowish borders. Its also has a dusky reddish belly with speckles and a large spot on the tail base. Lives forms groups in reef areas, 3 - 45 m depth.

This species has a pale yellow body with a pair of thin brown stripes on its upper side and a small dark spot on the middle of the tail base. Also, there are two short orange bars in a bluish-white patch on the gill cover. Lives forms groups around branching coral in reef areas, 2 - 25 m depth.

This species has a brown head and white body with numerous narrow dark brown stripes. Also, sometimes has a faint dark spot on tail base. Lives solitary or forms small groups in reef areas, 2 - 25 m depth

This species has a pale yellowish brown head and mauve body with a white-edged on the first dorsal fin. Also, there is a small white spot below base of first dorsal ray. Lives forms groups in reef areas, 2 - 30 m depth.

This species has a purplish brown body with a pair of silver-white stripes through eye and thin white stripes on upper head and back. Also, there is a black spot on middle of tail base. Lives forms small groups around branching coral or sea urchin spines in reef areas, 2 - 12 m depth.

This species has a pinkish silver and translucent body with a thin reddish brown midlateral stripe. Also, there is a brown spot in the middle of the tail base with a white spot above. Lives forms groups around branching coral, 15 - 50 m depth.

This species has a pinkish body with reddish brown stripes and blue eyes. Also, there are short white stripes from upper eye to above the pectoral fin. Lives forms groups around branching coral, 2 - 10 m depth.

Brown with numerous white blotch, Whitish irregular area on leading edge of dorsal and ventral fins.Solitary or form small groups.

Have hole yellow body color and mix liitlebit with pink color and distinct stripe, have blue stripe across lower cheek. Mostly found at reef flat or some times in soft coral in depth about 10m with big group. The body size is about 10 cm.

Mostly being found at branching coral in big group. Have redish and brown stripes the body is about 12 cm. Have short stripe from upper eye. The eye part are blue. Very easy to recognize and can be found at 10m

Usually found schooling among branching coral, often together with other cardinalfish species such as Banggai or coral cardinalfish. Like many cardinalfish, its coloration fades at dusk and at night, making daytime the best time to photograph this species when its colours are most vivid. It is easily recognised by its distinctive red eyes, spotted forebody, and striped tail region.

Usually found in large numbers among branching corals on shallow reefs. Juveniles are often seen hiding among sea urchin spines or within anemones. Due to the lack of coral at many dive sites in Lembeh, this species commonly inhabits large anemones instead. It is a male-brooding species: the female deposits large eggs into the male’s mouth, where the young hatch and remain for some time. This species is threatened with extinction due to overcollection for the aquarium trade. It was introduced to the Lembeh Strait by aquarium traders from the Banggai Islands. Found at depths of 5 to 25 meters, especially in the Lembeh area.