Zoramia viridiventer
Fragile cardinalfish
©Anne: Most specimens are Zoramia viridiventer. Two other cardinalfish species are also present: Archamia fucaca (three pinkish fish) and Archamia zosterophora (two fish with a pair of red vertical bars behind eyes). The coral is Porites cylindrica.
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Actinopterygii
Order
Perciformes
Family
Apogonidae
Genus
Zoramia
Species
Zoramia viridiventer
Colours
Distinguishing features
A small translucent fish with a yellowish eye and dark dots at the base of the tail and on the upper caudal fin. Usually seen in schools near coral bommies that have overhanging ledges and caves, or amongst staghorn coral. (Wikipedia)
Size
- Up to 12 cm (Standard length)
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
Areas of live branching coral (usually staghorn Acropora) on top of coral heads, and also near caves.
Found in most sheltered reef habitats around the island.
Behaviour
A nocturnal predator on crustacean zooplankton, these fish rest during the day close to the shelter of branching staghorn corals. They breed October - February, and the male fish hold the eggs in the mouth for 3-5days until the larvae hatch. Cardinalfishes have very short lifespans, becoming mature at 1 year old and living for only 3-5 years.
Web resources
References
- Barnett, A., D.R. Bellwood and A.S. Hoey (2006). Trophic ecomorphology of cardinalfish, Marine Ecology Progress Series, 322: 249-257. LIRS catalog number 1020.
- Doving, K.B., O.B. Stabell, S. Ostlund-Nilsson and R. Fisher (2006). Site fidelity and homing in tropical coral reef cardinalfish: are they using olfactory cues? Chemical Senses, 31: 265-272. LIRS catalog number 990.
- Gardiner, N.M. and G.P. Jones (2005). Habitat specialisation and overlap in a guild of coral reef cardinalfishes (Apogonidae), Marine Ecology Progress Series, 305: 163-175. LIRS catalog number 90014.
- View all references