Black Cardinalfish (Apogon melas)
Fish in the family Apogonidae. Moderate care. Reef Safe.
Quick facts
Appearance
The Black Cardinalfish is a small, stocky fish with a deep black to dark brown coloration throughout its body. It has a rounded head, large mouth, and two dorsal fins. The body is somewhat compressed laterally with a relatively large eye adapted for nocturnal feeding, and the pectoral fins are moderately sized and translucent.
Diet and feeding
Feed live or frozen meaty foods such as mysis shrimp, copepods, and finely chopped fish. This species is nocturnal and may require time to acclimate to feeding routines; target feeding or feeding at dusk increases feeding success.
Difficulty and care for the Black Cardinalfish
Moderate difficulty. Black Cardinalfish are hardy and peaceful but are nocturnal and may be shy; they require dim lighting, hiding places, and live or quality frozen foods to thrive. They do best in established reef aquaria with minimal aggression from tankmates.
Common health issues
Ich, parasitic infections, starvation if not fed appropriately, stress-related disease
Origin and habitat
Indo-Pacific region, ranging from the Red Sea and East Africa through Southeast Asia to the Great Barrier Reef and northern Australia. Found in shallow reef environments and coastal waters.
Log Black Cardinalfish in your reef tank
Reef Trak gives you the full record on every species in your tank: acquisition date, source, photos, parameters at time of stocking, and links to maintenance and feeding events. Track Black Cardinalfish alongside everything else in your reef.
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