Saltwater Fish
Banggai Cardinalfish.
Banggai cardinalfish are mouthbrooders, with the male holding the eggs and then the developing fry inside his mouth until they emerge as fully formed miniatures, skipping a free-swimming larval stage entirely.
We keep this species at our Erie store. Come and see it in the tanks, or call (814) 456-9445 and ask what we have in right now.
Sea Cave keeps this species. You will find these in the tanks at 660 East 14th Street in Erie. We never ship live animals.
- Condition
- new
- Fulfillment
- Local pickup — Erie, PA
We never ship fish, coral, or invertebrates — every animal here is one you meet in person. Each one is acclimated and health-checked in-house before it goes out into the display tanks. This is a species we keep, and what is swimming on any given day changes with the deliveries, so please call (814) 456-9445 before you drive in.
Care at a glance
What to know before you take one home.
- Temperament
- Semi aggressive
- Adult size
- 3"
- Min tank size
- 30 gallons
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Scientific name
- Pterapogon kauderni
Good tank mates
A calm, slow-moving fish that does best with other peaceful reef community species like firefish, small gobies, royal grammas, and ocellaris clownfish. They can be kept singly, as a bonded pair, or in a group, though loose groups sometimes squabble over territory as they mature, so give them space and structure. Avoid fast, boisterous tankmates that out-compete them at feeding time and large predators that view them as a meal.
Good to know
Banggai cardinalfish are mouthbrooders, with the male holding the eggs and then the developing fry inside his mouth until they emerge as fully formed miniatures, skipping a free-swimming larval stage entirely.
What is in the tanks and each animal's temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for pairing advice.
Good tankmates
Plays well with.
Species we’d keep in the same tank, with why each pairing works. What is in the tanks and each animal’s temperament vary — call (814) 456-9445 for advice on pairing.
New to stocking a tank? Read our guide on which fish live together.
Ultra Black Ice
Both are peaceful, reef-safe saltwater fish with naturally separate ecological niches — Banggai Cardinals hover near rockwork and urchin spines while Ocellaris Clownfish stay tethered to their host anemone. Multiple forum and care-guide sources confirm this is one of the most reliably safe community pairings in the hobby, with no documented inter-species aggression.
Firefish Goby
Firefish are among the most timid, non-aggressive saltwater fish available and thrive in the same calm, low-competition reef environment that Banggai Cardinals require. They occupy different microhabitats (Firefish stay near burrow entrances at the substrate; Banggai hover mid-water), which further reduces any chance of conflict.
Royal Gramma
Royal Grammas are territorial primarily toward their own species and similarly shaped cave-dwelling fish such as dottybacks — not toward cardinalfish. Multiple hobbyist and care-guide sources confirm successful cohabitation with Banggai Cardinals. Adequate rockwork with separate cave territories eliminates the main aggression trigger.
Pajama Cardinalfish
Banggai Cardinal aggression is strongly intraspecific (Pterapogon kauderni vs. Pterapogon kauderni). Pajama Cardinals belong to a completely different genus (Sphaeramia) and are not recognized as rivals. The cited Top Shelf Aquatics article directly addresses this species pair and confirms inter-genus coexistence, provided Banggai are kept as a single specimen or bonded pair.
Green Chromis
Green Chromis are peaceful toward other species in a reef community and are widely paired with cardinalfish in hobbyist setups. Their well-documented intra-species dominance hierarchy (Chromis vs. Chromis) is a separate husbandry concern unrelated to Banggai compatibility. No sources document Chromis harassing or fin-nipping Banggai Cardinals.
Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
Adult Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp reach 2–3 inches — at or beyond the full size of a Banggai Cardinal — making predation implausible. Cleaner shrimp are recognized as service providers by reef fish and are routinely kept with cardinalfish without incident. Banggai Cardinals are not documented predators of adult-sized ornamental shrimp.
Visit the store
660 East 14th Street,
Erie, PA.
Mon–Fri 12–6 · Sat 11–4 · Sun closed. Call ahead on livestock — what's on the floor rotates.