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Pink cardinalfish (Apogon pacificus) — Apogonidae

Pink cardinalfish

Apogon pacificus
Family: Apogonidae
LC · Least Concern

The Pink cardinalfish (Apogon pacificus) is a saltwater fish of the family Apogonidae that grows up to 10 cm.

Length
10 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
0.0–30.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Not eaten

Description

The pink cardinalfish is a small cardinalfish from the eastern Pacific, off the west coast of Central America. The species grows to about 10 cm and has a pinkish to reddish body with large eyes. As a nocturnal reef fish it shelters by day in crevices and caves and hunts small zooplankton and crustaceans at night. Like other cardinalfishes the male broods the eggs in its mouth. The fish is harmless to humans. The IUCN assesses the species as Least Concern (LC).

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Pink cardinalfish?

The Pink cardinalfish has a torpedo-shaped body, is mainly pink-purple and shows a plain pattern.

Where does the Pink cardinalfish live?

The Pink cardinalfish lives in the sea (marine waters) and is mostly found around stony or rocky ground.

How big does the Pink cardinalfish get?

The Pink cardinalfish grows to a maximum of about 10 cm.

Is the Pink cardinalfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Pink cardinalfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Pink cardinalfish edible?

The Pink cardinalfish is not usually eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Roze kardinaalbaars verified
English name
Pink cardinalfish verified
Scientific name
Apogon pacificus
Family
Apogonidae
Other names
Pink cardinalfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
10.0 verified
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Pink / purple inferred
Pattern
Plain sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred
Mouth position
Terminal sourced
Lips
Thin sourced
Barbels
No sourced
Dorsal fins
Two separate sourced
Dorsal spines
No sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
0.0 verified
Max depth (m)
30.0 verified
Origin
Native verified

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore sourced
Social behaviour
Small groups sourced
Territorial
No sourced
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes sourced
Sexual dimorphism
No sourced

For anglers

Edibility
Not eaten sourced
Fishing method
Geen doelsoort voor de hengelsport; hooguit incidentele vangst of bruikbaar als aasvisje. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless sourced

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Apogon

More from the family Apogonidae

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