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Elliot's cardinalfish (Jaydia ellioti) — Apogonidae

Elliot's cardinalfish

Jaydia ellioti
Family: Apogonidae

The Elliot's cardinalfish (Jaydia ellioti) is a saltwater fish of the family Apogonidae that grows up to 16 cm.

Length
16 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
18.0–106.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Behaviour
Small groups
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Torpedo-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless
Edibility
Rarely eaten

Description

Elliot's cardinalfish is a cardinalfish (Apogonidae) from the Indo-West Pacific. The species is small and has a stocky, silvery to pink body with large eyes. On the chest and abdomen it bears light-producing organs that use luciferin obtained from its Cypridina prey to glow. It lives on sandy to muddy bottoms of coastal waters. Nocturnally it hunts small zooplankton and small invertebrates. The male broods the eggs in his mouth. The species is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Elliot's cardinalfish?

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

Where does the Elliot's cardinalfish live?

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

How big does the Elliot's cardinalfish get?

The Elliot's cardinalfish grows to a maximum of about 16 cm.

Is the Elliot's cardinalfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Elliot's cardinalfish is harmless to humans.

Is the Elliot's cardinalfish edible?

The Elliot's cardinalfish is rarely eaten.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Elliots kardinaalbaars sourced
English name
Elliot's cardinalfish verified
Scientific name
Jaydia ellioti
Family
Apogonidae
Other names
Elliot's cardinalfish; Flagfinned cardinalfish; Flag-in cardinalfish; Flag-in cardinal-fish verified

Appearance

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

Habitat & distribution

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

Behaviour & biology

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

For anglers

Edibility
Rarely eaten sourced
Fishing method
Vissen met natuurlijk aas (vis, garnaal, worm) of kunstaas dicht bij rif- en rotsstructuren. 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 Jaydia

More from the family Apogonidae

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