Jul 21, 2023
Okay, buckle up, today’s fish is Pterapogon kauderni, the Banggai cardinalfish.
First off, look at this beautiful weirdo:
How exquisite. How bizarre. What fins. What fabulous spots.
These fish are endemic* to the Banggai islands of Indonesia, and are (you guessed it) endangered.
Also, they’re paternal mouth brooders!!! So the eggs and then the young hang out in the fathers’ mouths - we don’t really know how long they stay there!
Tell me you don’t love them. Those fins! The drama! Having your babies in your mouth!!
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*endemic: native and restricted to a certain place. Where “native” just refers to originating naturally from a place, endemic species have very restricted ranges.
