Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni).
Image: domdomegg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
- IUCN category
- EN · Endangered
- Animal group
- Fish
- Population trend
- Decreasing
- FaunaHub record reviewed
- Checked against IUCN
- Matches source — IUCN's 2025 global assessment of Pterapogon kauderni says EndangeredChecked 2026-10-09 against IUCN's Red List export published 2026-07-28 · assessment
Conservation overview
The Banggai cardinalfish is a striking black-and-silver reef fish with a very small natural range. It is assessed as Endangered.
Males brood the eggs and young in their mouths.
Range & habitat
A small area around the Banggai Islands of Indonesia.
Major threats
Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.
- Collection for the aquarium trade
- A tiny range
- Habitat damage
Why it matters
A beautiful reef fish heavily collected for aquariums from a tiny range, the Banggai cardinalfish is a flagship for sustainable aquarium-trade practices.
Gallery
Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni).
Image: Holger Krisp, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Sources
Sources for Banggai Cardinalfish
- IUCN Red List — look up Banggai Cardinalfish (authoritative status)
- FishBase
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Banggai cardinalfish raise their young?
Males are mouthbrooders: they hold the eggs and then the tiny young in their mouths until the juveniles are ready to fend for themselves.
Why is the Banggai cardinalfish Endangered?
Published assessments cite heavy collection for the aquarium trade from a very small natural range, plus habitat damage. See the IUCN Red List.