Belted cardinalfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belted cardinalfish |
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| Apogon townsendi | |
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The belted cardinalfish (Apogon townsendi) is a small, colorful fish that lives in the ocean. It is a type of cardinalfish and can grow up to about 6.5 centimeters (2.5 inches) long. These fish are often found in the western Atlantic Ocean, especially near Central and South America. They like to hide in caves and holes in the ocean floor.
Belted cardinalfish are usually pinkish-red on their top side and yellowish-red on their belly. A cool fact about them is that the adult fish carry their eggs in their mouth until they hatch! This is a special way some fish protect their young.
What Does the Belted Cardinalfish Look Like?
Belted cardinalfish are small, growing to a maximum length of about 6.5 centimeters. They have two fins on their back, called dorsal fins. The first dorsal fin has six stiff spines, and the second one has one spine and nine soft rays.
Their side fins, called pectoral fins, have 12 rays. The fin on their underside, near the tail, is called the anal fin and has two spines and eight rays. Their tail fin, known as the caudal fin, is forked, like a "V" shape. Around the base of their tail, they have twelve scales.
The top part of the fish is red or reddish-pink. The bottom part is reddish-yellow. They have a dark ring just before their tail fin, which gets lighter closer to the tail. A thin, dark stripe, like a belt, runs from the middle of their back fin down to their anal fin. Their scales have tiny teeth on the edges and they shed them from time to time, just like we shed skin cells.
Where Do Belted Cardinalfish Live?
Belted cardinalfish are ocean fish. You can find them in the warm waters of the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and off the coast of northeastern South America. Their home range stretches from northern South America up to southern Florida, and also includes Bermuda and the Antilles islands.
These fish love to live in rocky areas and near reefs. They are often found where the ocean floor drops off sharply, at depths from about 3 to 55 meters (10 to 180 feet). They like to hide in caves and holes. Sometimes, you might even spot them hiding among the long spines of the long-spined urchin for protection!
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