Girdled Cardinalfish

Description:

Also known as Blackbelted Cardinalfish, the black band below its second dorsal fin varies in width, and may even be absent. However, its distinctive markings are always visible: the two narrow vertical orange stripes next to its gills and the small black dot at the base of its tail. This species feeds nocturnally and grows to a maximum of 8cm in length.

Habitat:

Girdled cardinalfish form large schools above or among the branches of Porites cylindrica and other branching coral (eg., Acropora), in sheltered lagoons and inshore bays; also over sandy bottoms at depths of 1 to 40m. Distribution: the Western Pacific, from Indonesia to Vanuatu, north to the Ryukyu Islands, and south to Australia.

Notes:

Spotted this school of girdled cardinals among the long branches of staghorn coral (possibly Acropora cervicornis), in about 12m of water at the dive site called Marissa 2 (off the western coast of Samal Island).