Ochre-striped cardinalfish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ochre-striped cardinalfish |
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The ochre-striped cardinalfish (scientific name: Ostorhinchus compressus) is a cool marine fish. It's also known as the blue-eyed cardinalfish or split banded cardinalfish. This fish belongs to the family called Apogonidae, which are cardinalfishes. You can find it in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean. Sometimes, people even keep them in aquariums! This fish can grow up to 12 cm long.
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About the Ochre-Striped Cardinalfish
How Scientists Named This Fish
Scientists first described this fish in 1911. Two scientists, Hugh McCormick Smith and Lewis Radcliffe, found it. They collected it during a big trip to the Philippines between 1907 and 1910. This trip was part of the United States Bureau of Fisheries on a ship called the Albatross.
The original fish they studied is kept at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C.. It helps scientists compare and identify other fish.
Why the Name Changed
The scientists first gave this fish the name Amia compressa. But later, they found out that Amia was already used for another group of fish. So, the name was changed to Ostorhinchus compressus.
What Does This Fish Look Like?
The ochre-striped cardinalfish can grow up to 12 cm long. However, most adults are usually around 8.5 cm. They have a pretty pinkish-white body. You can see six brown stripes running along each side of their body.
Their eyes are special because they have shiny, blue rings around them. Near their tail, they have up to four brown spots. Young fish, called juveniles, look a bit different. They start with a black spot on a yellow tail base. This look might help them pretend to be other fish that eat smaller fish, which helps them stay safe.
Where Do These Fish Live?
Their Ocean Home
You can find Ostorhinchus compressus in many places. In Australia, they live around Scott Reef and the Great Barrier Reef. They also live near Lord Howe Island in the Tasman Sea.
Beyond Australia, their home stretches across the Indo-Pacific. This includes the Andaman Sea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and even southern Japan.
Life Cycle and Growth
Scientists have studied how these fish grow from tiny larvae. Larvae are like baby fish. As they get older, their eyes get better at seeing ultraviolet light.
Young larvae float in the open ocean. Being able to see UV light helps older larvae swim deeper in the water column. This might help them find more food. It also helps them hide from predators that might want to eat them.
Where They Settle Down
Adult ochre-striped cardinalfish usually live in waters from 2 to 20 meters deep. During the day, they rest in groups with other cardinalfish. They are not very picky about where they rest.
You can find them near different types of hard coral, Gorgonians (like sea fans), dead coral, rocky areas, and sand. These fish are quite tough! They can even live in places with very low oxygen levels. This is important because some shallow corals they hide in use up a lot of oxygen. They can even handle low oxygen when the water is warm, around 30 °C.
Fishy Problems: Parasites
Sometimes, these fish can get tiny flatworms on their gills. These flatworms are a type of Gyrodactylid parasite.
Images for kids
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A young ochre-striped cardinalfish
