Blue-eye Cardinalfish, Ostorhinchus compressus (Smith & Radcliffe, 1911)

Scientific name: Ostorhinchus compressus
Alternative name/s:
Split-banded Cardinalfish, Ochre-striped Cardinalfish
  • Author(s)
    Mark McGrouther
  • Updated
    25/01/21
  • Read time
    2 minutes
Blue-eye Cardinalfish, Ostorhinchus compressus Click to enlarge image
A Blue-eye Cardinalfish, Ostorhinchus compressus, at a depth of 5 m, Segond Channel, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, 14 July 2003. Image: Erik Schlögl
© Erik Schlögl

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Ostorhinchus
    Species
    compressus
    Family
    Apogonidae
    Order
    Perciformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    The Blue-eye Cardinalfish grows to 12 cm in length.

Introduction

The Blue-eye Cardinalfish is a small, tropical marine species that can be recognised by its colour pattern. Until recently the species was known as Apogon compressus.

Identification

The Blue-eye Cardinalfish can be recognised by its blue eyes and by its colour pattern. This species usually has 3-4 dark spots on the base of the tail fin and six red-brown stripes on the side of the body, the one behind the eye splits into two branches.

Blue-eye Cardinalfish, Ostorhinchus compressus
A Blue-eye Cardinalfish at a depth of 8 m, wreck of the USS President Coolidge, u0009Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu, 26 January 2009. Image: William White
© William White

Habitat

This species is usually seen in small groups in branching corals at depths between 2 m and 20 m.

Distribution

It is recorded from much of the Western Pacific. In Australia it has been recorded from Rowley Shoals, Western Australia and from the northern Great Barrier Reef.

The map below shows the Australian distribution of the species based on public sightings and specimens in Australian Museums. Click on the map for detailed information. Source: Atlas of Living Australia.

Distribution data sourced from the Atlas of Living Australia

References

  1. Hoese, D.F., Bray, D.J., Paxton, J.R. & G.R. Allen. 2006. Fishes. In Beesley, P.L. & A. Wells. (eds) Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 35. ABRS & CSIRO Publishing: Australia. parts 1-3, pages 1-2178.
  2. Kuiter, R.H. 1992. Tropical Reef-Fishes of the Western Pacific. Indonesia and adjacent Waters. Penerbit PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama. Pp. 314.
  3. Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. A Comprehensive Guide to the Coral Reef Fishes of Micronesia. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
  4. Paxton, J.R., D.F. Hoese, G.R. Allen & J.E. Hanley. 1989. Zoological Catalogue of Australia Vol.7 Pisces Petromyzontidae to Carangidae. Canberra: Australian Biological Resources Survey. pp. i-xii, 1-665.
  5. Randall, J.E., Allen, G.R & R.C. Steene. 1990. Fishes of the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. Crawford House Press. Pp. 507.