The Banggai Cardinalfish, also known as the Kaudern’s Cardinal or Longfin Cardinalfish (Pterapogon Kauderni) is a small tropical Cardinalfish. This attractive fish is popular among aquarists. It is among the relatively few marine fish to have been bred regularly in captivity, but significant numbers are still captured in the wild and it is now an endangered species.
A Banggai Cardinalfish or Kaudern’s Cardinal grows up to 3″ inches in total length. It is easily differentiated from all other Cardinalfish by its tasseled first dorsal fin, elongate anal and second dorsal fin rays, deeply forked caudal fin, and color pattern consisting of three black bars across the head and body and prominent black anterior edges on the anal and second dorsal fin. The male can be differentiated from the female by a conspicuous enlarged oral cavity, which is apparent only when they are brooding.