This small, disc-shaped fish is easily recognized by its
tasseled first dorsal fin; long, tapering second dorsal fin; and
deeply forked tail, or caudal fin. The colors are striking: a
gray background with bright silver flecks and several bold,
black, vertical stripes. The male of this species incubates the
eggs in his mouth and continues to hold the young within his
mouth cavity after hatching to further protect them. The
Banggai, along with most others in the cardinalfish family,
feeds on plankton and small, bottom-dwelling crustaceans. The
male and female of this species are of comparable size, up to 3
inches in total length. This cardinalfish is restricted to the
Banggai Islands in Indonesia. It is common around jetties and
over sandy bottoms with sea grasses. This species was introduced
into the pet trade in the 1990s and has become popular for home
aquariums in recent years. Because of its restricted range and
relatively shallow habitat, it is in danger of being exploited
and over-collected. Some experts