Apogonidae

obliquebanded cardinalfish

Apogon semiornatus

Single oblique red stripe

• Tropical
• Transcontinental
• Marine fish
• Pacific Ocean
• Africa
• East Asia
• Oceania
• West Asia
• Deep-bodied
• Compressed cross-section
• Small
• Tropical fish

Apogon semiornatus, the oblique-banded cardinalfish, is a translucent fish with one main stripe (usually red) and little to no smaller stripes; stripe-free individuals have also been found. This fish lives in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean, in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Oman, east to Australia, north to Japan, south to Natal, and in the waters around South Africa. This fish naturally lives in rocky and rubble reefs and displays secretive behavior by preferring to remain under pieces of material or in the back of low caves.