Tiger cardinal

Cheilodipterus arabicus

Thirteen to sixteen dark flank stripes

Tropical
Regional distribution
Marine fish
Indian Ocean
Africa
South Asia
Fusiform
Medium
Tropical fish

Cheilodipterus arabicus is a species of ray-finned fish from the cardinalfish family Apogonidae. It is found in the western Indian Ocean in the following countries, Tanzania, Seychelles, and India where they are relatively common, the species is also found in the Red Sea, where it occurs in small shoals living in association with reefs. It is characterized by pale brown color with 13–16 dark brown stripes.

Class: Teleosts
Order: Cardinalfishes
Family: Apogonidae
Genus: Cheilodipterus
Maximum length: 18 cm
Water: Marine
Body shape: fusiform
Distribution: Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Tanzania, Mozambique, Seychelles, and India. Absence of the species elsewhere in the Indian Ocean, is probably due to inadequate sampling. Absence from the Gulf of Aqaba and Persian Gulf may be the result of competition with Cheilodipterus lachneri Klausewitz, 1959 and Cheilodipterus persicus Gon, 1993, respectively.

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