TankBud

Yellowstriped cardinalfish

Ostorhinchus cyanosoma

Also known as Goldstriped Cardinalfish, Orange-lined Cardinalfish

SaltwaterFish

Yellowstriped cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus cyanosoma)
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Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
3.1 in
8 cm
Minimum tank
30 gal
114 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Shoaling
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe
Family
Apogonidae
Origin
Indo-Pacific reefs, from the Red Sea to Fiji

Overview

A genuinely peaceful schooling fish that does best in groups of five or more introduced at the same time; a proper school settles in faster, swims out in the open more, and squabbles less than a single fish left to hold its own territory. It is safe with corals and most reef invertebrates but may pick off very small shrimp or amphipods. Offer a varied diet of mysis, brine shrimp and other meaty frozen foods a few times a day, since these slow, deliberate feeders can lose out to faster tankmates at mealtime.

In the wild

Ranges across the Indo-Pacific from the Red Sea and East Africa to Fiji, north to the Ryukyu Islands and south to New Caledonia, where it shoals over lagoon and seaward reefs, often hovering among branching coral or the spines of long-spined urchins. Keep a group in at least 114 liters (30 gallons) with open swimming space plus caves, coral branches or urchins for the school to retreat into when startled.

Good to know

Like its cardinalfish relatives, the yellowstriped cardinalfish is a mouthbrooder: males collect the fertilized eggs and incubate them in their mouths until the fry are ready to disperse. In the wild it forms dense, mixed-age aggregations that can number in the hundreds, its silvery, striped body helping it blend into the crowd and confuse predators.

Did you know

Unlike most of its secretive, shadow-hugging cardinalfish relatives, the yellowstriped cardinalfish stays out in the open with its school through the day instead of hiding until dark.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Yellowstriped cardinalfish is a peaceful, shoaling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Yellowstriped cardinalfish need?

A Yellowstriped cardinalfish needs at least 30 gal (114 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Yellowstriped cardinalfish need?

A Yellowstriped cardinalfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

How big does a Yellowstriped cardinalfish get?

An adult Yellowstriped cardinalfish reaches about 3.1 in (8 cm).

Does a Yellowstriped cardinalfish need a group?

Yes. A Yellowstriped cardinalfish is a shoaling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

Related species