• Skip to main content
AlgaeBarn

AlgaeBarn

Marine Aquariums Made Easy!

  • Sign In
  • Cart
    • Shop See All
      • Ultimate Packs See All
      • Ultimate Refugium Starter
      • Clam Keeper Kits
      • Ultimate Ecopack
      • Mandarin Feeder Kit
      • Hair Algae Killer Kit
      • See All Ultimate Packs
      • Live Foods See All
      • Copepods
        • Ecopods
        • 5280 Pods
        • Galaxy Pods
        • Poseidon's Feast
        • Tisbe Pods
        • Tig Pods
      • Food Combos
        • Ecopods & Phyto
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto
        • Poseidon's & Phyto
        • Tig Pods & Phyto
        • Tisbe Pods & Phyto
      • Phytoplankton
        • Oceanmagik
      • Brine Shrimp
        • Simple Brine
        • Nano Brine Shrimp
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Galaxy Pods 5 Species Copepod Blend

          Galaxy Pods

          $66 – $139
          Shop Now
        • Ecopods 4 Pack Special

          $99
          Shop Now
        • Galaxy Pods & Phyto Combo

          $80
          Shop Now
        • 5280 Pods

          $45
          Shop Now
      • Macroalgae See All
      • Clean Macro Series
        • Clean Chaeto
        • Clean Sea Lettuce
        • Clean Green Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Ogo
        • Clean Mocha Spike Sphere
        • Pom Pom
        • Red Ogo
        • Red Spike Sphere
        • Red Spaghetti
        • Red Mangrove
      • Premium Rare Macro
        • Leafy Ogo
        • Blue Hypnea
        • Dragon's Tongue
        • Thick Ogo
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Clean Chaeto

          $40 – $125
          Shop Now
        • Clean Sea Lettuce

          $30 – $95
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • Red Ogo

          $30 – $80
          Shop Now
        • Red Mangrove

          $13
          Shop Now
      • Captive Bred Fish See All
      • Gobies
        • Green Mandarin
        • Court Jester Goby
        • Watchman Goby
        • White Spotted Goby
      • AngelFish
        • Biota Coral Beauty
        • Maculosus Angel
        • Majestic Angel
        • Swallowtail Angel
      • Tangs
        • Yellow Tang
        • Blue Tang
      • More Species
        • Grammas
        • FileFish
        • Blennies
        • Damsel
        • ClownFish
        • RabbitFish
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Blue Mandarin

          BIOTA Green Mandarin

          $99
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • ORA Neon Goby

          $35
          Shop Now
        • Captive Bred Yellow Tangs by BIOTA

          BIOTA Yellow Tang

          $239
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • ORA Premium Picasso

          $145 – $300
          Shop Now
      • Captive Bred Invertebrates See All
      • Clams
        • Ora Derasa Clam
        • Squamosa Clam
        • Ora Gigas Clam
        • Ora Maxima Clam
        • Ora Hippopus Clam
      • Shrimp
        • Ora Peppermint Shrimp
        • Harlequin Shrimp
      • Snails
        • Cerith Snails
        • Trochus Snail
        • Nassarius Snails
      • Urchins
        • Ora Tuxedo Urchin
        • Ora Pincushion Urchin
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Animated gif of peppermint shrimp

          Peppermint Shrimp

          $49 – $119
          Shop Now
        • 10 Cerith Snails

          Cerith Snail

          $25 – $39
          Shop Now
        • pincushion urchin lytechinus variegatus reef safe and captive bred by ora for sale at algaebarn

          Pincushion Urchin

          $29 – $55
          Shop Now
        • Gold Maxima Clam Bed

          ORA Maxima Clam

          $80 – $150
          Shop Now
      • Corals See All
      • LPS Corals
        • Biota Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Pearl Bubble
        • ORA Marshall Island Goniopora
        • ORA Marshall Island Hammer
      • SPS Corals
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Imperial Acropora
        • ORA Turquoise Acropora
        • ORA Micronesian Yellow Porites
      • Soft Corals
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool
        • ORA Long Polyp Leather Coral
        • ORA Silver Xenia
        • ORA Pulsing Xenia
      • Frag Packs
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • Biota Pearl Bubble Coral

          $65
          Shop Now
        • ORA Pearlberry Acropora

          $290
          Notify Me When in Stock
        • BIOTA White Polyp Toadstool

          $65
          Notify Me When in Stock
      • Additives & Bacteria See All
      • Live Cultures & Bacteria
        • Turbostart 900 Saltwater
        • Aquarium Cycle Kit
        • Coralline Algae
        • PNS Yellosno
        • PNS Probio™
      • Additives & Chemicals
        • Nitrocycle
        • Clarifier
        • Fritz A.C.C.R
        • Fritz RPM Salt
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Shop Now
        • CADE Metric to ANSI Drain Adapter – DN40 to 1-1/2in

          $5 – $15
          Shop Now
        • BedRock – Single Cut Dry Live Rock

          $6
          Shop Now
        • Zoomed Can-O-Cyclops - A great feed for captive bred mandarins

          Can O’ Cyclops

          $7
          Shop Now
      • Aquarium Supplies See All
      • Fuge Lighting
        • AI Fuge 16HD Light
        • Kessil A360X Fuge Light
        • Kessil H160
        • Kessil H80
        • Chaetomax
      • Biomedia
        • Marinepure Gems
        • Marinepure Rocks
        • Marinepure Plate
        • Marinepure Cubes
        • Marinepure Spheres
      • Foods
        • Dragon Roe
        • Simple Brine
        • Can'O Cyclops
        • Benereef™
        • Fresco Cyclops
      • Rock & Sand
        • Dry Rock
        • Clam Rocks
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • MarinePure 10 Cubes

          2″ Cubes

          $5 – $99
          Shop Now
        • CADE Metric to ANSI Drain Adapter – DN40 to 1-1/2in

          $5 – $15
          Shop Now
        • BedRock – Single Cut Dry Live Rock

          $6
          Shop Now
        • Zoomed Can-O-Cyclops - A great feed for captive bred mandarins

          Can O’ Cyclops

          $7
          Shop Now
      • CADE Aquariums See All
      • Reef Series
        • CADE REEF 500 S2
        • CADE REEF 600 S2
        • CADE REEF 900 S2
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2
        • CADE REEF 1500 S2
        • CADE REEF 1800 S2
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2
      • Frag Series
        • CADE Frag 600 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1200 S2/F
        • CADE Frag 1500 S2/F
      • Peninsula Series
        • CADE Peninsula 1200 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P
        • CADE Peninsula 1800 S2/P
      • Most Popular Products See All
        • CADE REEF 2100 S2

          $7,225
          Shop Now
        • CADE Peninsula 1500 S2/P

          $5,525
          Shop Now
        • CADE REEF 1200 S2

          $4,125
          Shop Now
        • CADE Frag 900 S2/F

          $3,275
          Shop Now
    • Contests Win Free Aquarium Supplies!
      No Purchase Necessary*
    • Top Deals Huge Savings!
    • AlgaeBarn Heroes Discount for Military,
      First Responders and more!
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact
  • Shipping
You are here: Home / Captive Bred Fish / Keeping the Seale’s Cardinalfish

Keeping the Seale’s Cardinalfish

by Kenneth Wingerter

We reef aquarists are a bit spoiled when it comes to jaw-dropping livestock. Weird stuff, colorful stuff… and just the shear diversity of it all. But we don’t have it all, of course. For example, think of all the many cute little “dither fish” freshwater aquarists have to choose from. Just looking at the tetras alone, there are scores and scores of beautiful small schooling fish to try out. And man, while they’re attractive fishes as individuals, the spectacle of the large group moving about in a loose cluster (something like a flock of starlings perhaps) can be totally mesmerizing.

That isn’t to say that there are no small, shoaling reef fish at all to keep. The cardinalfishes (Family Apogonidae) are a fine example of this. Still, given the nocturnal nature of many cardinals, they are bit too shy in the eyes of many aquarists. The diurnal (i.e. daylight-loving) Bangaii cardinal has enjoyed some popularity; however, its attractive markings usually blur and fade with age, much to the frustration of many keepers. There is, fortunately, another beautiful cardinalfish species that is diurnal in habit and only gets prettier with age, and it loves to school: The BIOTA Seale’s cardinalfish!

This awesome fish wouldn’t even need an introduction to aquarists were it not for the fact that it is so rare in the trade. Many hobbyists have only recently heard of it for the first time. Unsurprisingly, that has kept the price of this highly desirable species beyond the reach of some hobbyists, particularly those who would otherwise intend to build a large shoal. Thanks to the hard work of hatchery technicians at Biota Marine Life Nursery in Palau, this has all changed as the Seale’s cardinal is now readily available as captive bred!

Cardinals are hardy fish that adapt easily to captivity; these captive-bred specimens are especially rock-solid. Easy to feed and extremely disease-resistant, Biota’s Seale’s cardinals present a rewarding and unique fishkeeping experience for experts and newbies alike.

Seale’s cardinalfish natural history

Once known as Apogon sealei, and now known as Ostorhinchus sealei, the Seale’s cardinalfish (or the cheek-barred cardinalfish) is named after the esteemed American ichthyologist Alvin Seale (1871-1958). It sparsely occurs in the Western Pacific Ocean from northwestern Australia to the Solomon Islands to southern Japan. It typically shelters within coral branches in shallow (10-85 feet deep), sheltered areas. It generally congregates into large groups. Though it is a bit more wary of predators during the day, it is confident at night when it comes out to snatch plankton and small benthic invertebrates (like all cardinals, it still likes to play after dark).

This fish grows up to four inches in length, though three inches is far more common. One of its most distinguishing features is its shiny blue eyes. Juveniles are yellow-grey with dark horizontal stripes. As they mature, the stripes decrease in number and change to a pinkish red color while the base color changes to yellow-green. Both juveniles and adults have a single, tiny eye spot at the base of the tail fin. The bars on its cheeks become more elaborate with age.

Seale’s cardinalfish in captivity

This cardinal, as mentioned, does not mind brightly lit conditions and therefore does well in the typical reef tank. That being said, like any small fish, it appreciates an abundance of caves and crevasses to hide in. It is considered to be reef-safe, though it should be kept with caution around very small shrimp. As it is timid and shrinks from competitors, it is important to not keep it with aggressive tankmates. If picked on by other fish, the Seale’s cardinal might hide so much that it doesn’t get enough to eat at feeding time. 

This fish is not at all finicky when it comes to food, but is best offered zooplankton and small benthic crustaceans such as brine shrimp and mysis shrimp. Frequent feedings are ideal, but they especially appreciate a bite during lights-down in the evening.

This mouth-brooder may form pairs and indeed may spawn in the home aquarium. It is not only completely peaceful towards other species, but it also gets along just fine with its own kind. While it is easy to keep this species as a solitary individual, it may be pretty tempting to acquire at least a trio if not a swarm (for very large tanks, that is!).

Conclusion

Every single new species that is presented as captive-bred to saltwater aquarium hobbyists is a great thing. But the Seale’s cardinal, due to its rare availability as wild-caught, is especially exciting. This handsome species gives reef aquarists the relatively unusual opportunity to observe true schooling and shoaling behavior in their tank. In groups, this fish makes an incredibly impressive display. The semi-coordinated movement of the group is something that we hardly ever get to behold in the typical reef aquarium. And now it’s available as a sustainably produced captive-bred offering! When you factor in this fish’s hardiness and its (now) reasonable price, it looks like a pretty great candidate for just about any reef tank.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts

A Beginner’s Guide: How Reef Fish Balance the Ecosystem

Reef fish, whether they are predators or grazers, play a huge part in maintaining the balance of the coral reef ecosystem. Coral reefs that are healthy

Read More about A Beginner’s Guide: How Reef Fish Balance the Ecosystem

The Chalk Bass – A Commonly Overlooked Charmer

The Caribbean Chalk Bass is one of the smallest bass in their family and is often overlooked in the reef keeping hobby. The orange-colored body has a

Read More about The Chalk Bass – A Commonly Overlooked Charmer

Keeping the Azure Damselfish

Small fishes rule the marine aquarium world. If you only have space or cash for a small tank, they’re a godsend. Have a huge tank? Well, even then, they’re

Read More about Keeping the Azure Damselfish

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Browse the AlgaeLab by Category

  • Advanced Education
  • Beginners Education
  • CADE Aquariums
  • Captive Bred Fish
  • Clean Up Crew
  • Company News
  • Copepods
  • Corals
  • Freshwater
  • Freshwater Aquariums
  • Intermediate Education
  • Invertebrates
  • Live foods
  • Macroalgae
  • Our Oceans
  • Phytoplankton
  • Product Info
  • Refugium Education
  • Rock and Substrate
  • Saltwater Aquariums
  • Wholesale

Company

  • About Us
  • The AlgaeLab Blog
  • Our Team
  • Careers
  • FAQ

Get in Touch

  • Contact Us
  • AOA Claim Form
  • Press Inquiries
  • Call Us: 772-444-7637

Policies

  • Legendary AOA Guarantee
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

Other

  • Store Locator
  • Wholesale & B2B inquired
  • Business Location

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Join our mission to build a more sustainable aquarium hobby, one tank at a time!

Copyright 2023, AlgaeBarn LLC - Live Copepods and Phytoplankton

0

Your Cart is Empty

adroll_adv_id = "RWFLKG57L5GR7KGYSOEUOK"; adroll_pix_id = "CH2QRUFHXZELLLCMHAB5GI"; adroll_version = "2.0"; adroll_current_page = "other"; adroll_currency = "USD"; adroll_language = "en_US";