Split-Banded Cardinalfish (Apogon compressus)

Quick facts

Appearance

Apogon compressus is a small, laterally compressed cardinalfish with a reddish-orange body and distinctive white or pale bands running across its sides. The head is proportionally large and rounded, and the mouth is terminal and relatively large. A dark band passes through the eye, and the split-banded pattern (giving the species its common name) is most prominent along the dorsal and ventral portions of the body.

Diet and feeding

Feed small meaty foods such as finely chopped frozen mysis shrimp, brine shrimp, and small marine copepods. In established aquaria with plentiful pod populations, cardinalfish will graze on natural zooplankton; supplemental feedings of 1–2 times daily are typically necessary in captive systems.

Difficulty and care for the Split-Banded Cardinalfish

Split-Banded Cardinalfish are moderately challenging for beginners due to their small size, secretive nocturnal behavior, and specific feeding requirements. They require stable water parameters and adequate live food or appropriately sized prepared foods to thrive in captivity.

Common health issues

Parasitic infections (ich, velvet), starvation in new aquaria, bacterial infections

Origin and habitat

Indo-Pacific region from the Red Sea and East Africa eastward through the Indian Ocean and throughout the Indo-Pacific to Hawaii and the Great Barrier Reef. Found in coastal reef environments at depths typically between 20–100 meters.