Zoramia viridiventer
Fragile cardinalfish
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.
Size
- Up to 4.2 cm (Length according to Greenfield et al (2005))
Depth range
- Depth range data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Similar taxa
-
Animalia:
Slender cardinalfish (species: Rhabdamia gracilis)
is another small, translucent, silvery cardinalfish often with a black spot at the tail base. It has a more streamlined shape than Zoramia viridiventer. -
Animalia:
species: Zoramia fragilis
is a valid name for a species found along the east coast of Africa. Greenfield et al (2005) found that the species in the Pacific that used to be called by that name is different, and they named it Zoramia viridiventer. Lizard Island specimens are among the paratypes.
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
- Abdulla, A. (2004). Predator-prey interactions in coral reef fish: the implications of predation risk on the behaviour and growth of prey, Ph.D. thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 1296.
- Barnett, A. (2004). The trophic and reproductive implications of mouthbrooding in apogonid fishes, Honours thesis, James Cook University. LIRS catalog number 946.
- Barnett, A. and D.R. Bellwood (2005). Sexual dimorphism in the buccal cavity of paternal mouthbrooding cardinalfishes (Pisces: Apogonidae), Marine Biology, 148: 205-212. LIRS catalog number 1021.
- View all references