Richard Bajol, Neukaledonien
Info
Ostorhinchus cladophilos is a benthic species of cardinalfish that inhabit the coral reefs.
As the perch only grows to 6cm, it has developed various strategies for its protection, forming groups that seek shelter between sea urchins, black corals and gorgonians.
Characteristic is a semi-transparent, whitish body colouring with a pointed, dark brown central stripe, in the middle of the caudal fin base there is a pupil-sized black spot a thin, dark mid-lateral stripe.
Colour and identification:
The animal is generally translucent to whitish with silvery reflections on head and belly.
A diffuse to distinct brown stripe, which extends from the tip of the snout through the eye to the middle of the base of the caudal fin, tapers towards the back and ends in a striking black spot (about pupil size or slightly larger) is also particularly striking.
A pair of silver stripes on the snout, which run through the eye at the level of the upper and lower pupil edge and translucent whitish fins complete the short description of the cardinalfish.
Etymology
The word "ostorhinchus" comes from the Greek, "osteon" means "bone", the word "rhynchos", which also comes from the Greek, stands for the "beak" and refers to the bony jaws, which are very advanced and jagged, taking the place of the teeth.
The Greek word "cladophilos" stands for "klados" = "branch" and the Greek word "philo" means "loving". The name refers to the habit of the species to hide between branches of antipatharic and alcyonarian corals and sea urchins.
Similar species: Ostorhinchus capricornis (Allen & Randall, 1993)
Synonym: Apogon cladophilos (Allen & Randall, 2002)
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
As the perch only grows to 6cm, it has developed various strategies for its protection, forming groups that seek shelter between sea urchins, black corals and gorgonians.
Characteristic is a semi-transparent, whitish body colouring with a pointed, dark brown central stripe, in the middle of the caudal fin base there is a pupil-sized black spot a thin, dark mid-lateral stripe.
Colour and identification:
The animal is generally translucent to whitish with silvery reflections on head and belly.
A diffuse to distinct brown stripe, which extends from the tip of the snout through the eye to the middle of the base of the caudal fin, tapers towards the back and ends in a striking black spot (about pupil size or slightly larger) is also particularly striking.
A pair of silver stripes on the snout, which run through the eye at the level of the upper and lower pupil edge and translucent whitish fins complete the short description of the cardinalfish.
Etymology
The word "ostorhinchus" comes from the Greek, "osteon" means "bone", the word "rhynchos", which also comes from the Greek, stands for the "beak" and refers to the bony jaws, which are very advanced and jagged, taking the place of the teeth.
The Greek word "cladophilos" stands for "klados" = "branch" and the Greek word "philo" means "loving". The name refers to the habit of the species to hide between branches of antipatharic and alcyonarian corals and sea urchins.
Similar species: Ostorhinchus capricornis (Allen & Randall, 1993)
Synonym: Apogon cladophilos (Allen & Randall, 2002)
The term "reef safe" is often used in marine aquaristics, especially when buying a new species people often ask if the new animal is "reef safe".
What exactly does reef safe mean?
To answer this question, you can ask target-oriented questions and inquire in forums, clubs, dealers and with aquarist friends:
- Are there already experiences and keeping reports that assure that the new animal can live in other suitably equipped aquariums without ever having caused problems?
- Is there any experience of invertebrates (crustaceans, hermits, mussels, snails) or corals being attacked by other inhabitants such as fish of the same or a different species?
- Is any information known or expected about a possible change in dietary habits, e.g., from a plant-based diet to a meat-based diet?
- Do the desired animals leave the reef structure "alone", do they constantly change it (boring starfish, digger gobies, parrotfish, triggerfish) and thus disturb or displace other co-inhabitants?
- do new animals tend to get diseases repeatedly and very quickly and can they be treated?
- Do known peaceful animals change their character in the course of their life and become aggressive?
- Can the death of a new animal possibly even lead to the death of the rest of the stock through poisoning (possible with some species of sea cucumbers)?
- Last but not least the keeper of the animals has to be included in the "reef safety", there are actively poisonous, passively poisonous animals, animals that have dangerous biting or stinging weapons, animals with extremely strong nettle poisons, these have to be (er)known and a plan of action should have been made in advance in case of an attack on the aquarist (e.g. telephone numbers of the poison control center, the treating doctor, the tropical institute etc.).
If all questions are evaluated positively in the sense of the animal(s) and the keeper, then one can assume a "reef safety".
