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Wedgehead siphonfish (Siphamia cuneiceps) — Apogonidae

Wedgehead siphonfish

Siphamia cuneiceps
Family: Apogonidae

The Wedgehead siphonfish (Siphamia cuneiceps) is a saltwater fish of the family Apogonidae that grows up to 4 cm.

Length
4 cm
Water
Saltwater
Depth
1.0–28.0 m
Diet
Carnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Stone or rock
Danger
Harmless

Description

The Wedgehead siphonfish is a small light cardinalfish (Apogonidae) from shallow reef water of the Indo-West Pacific. The species grows to about 4 cm and has a stocky, semi-translucent body and carries luminous bacteria in the belly that give a soft glow. As a shy, nocturnal fish it shelters by day among the spines of sea urchins and in coral crevices and hunts small zooplankton at night. The male broods the eggs in his mouth. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Wedgehead siphonfish?

The Wedgehead siphonfish has a flattened, disc-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Wedgehead siphonfish live?

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

How big does the Wedgehead siphonfish get?

The Wedgehead siphonfish grows to a maximum of about 4 cm.

Is the Wedgehead siphonfish dangerous to humans?

No, the Wedgehead siphonfish is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Wigkop-lichtkardinaal sourced
English name
Wedgehead siphonfish sourced
Scientific name
Siphamia cuneiceps
Family
Apogonidae
Other names
Wedgehead siphonfish verified

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
4 inferred
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Saltwater sourced
Substrate
Stone or rock sourced
Min depth (m)
1.0 sourced
Max depth (m)
28.0 sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Carnivore inferred
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Nocturnal sourced
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

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

Same genus Siphamia

More from the family Apogonidae

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