Maldives Marine Life

Marine life of Maldivian waters

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Reef-flat cardinalfish
No photo available
Illustration
Illustration: Homefront / Abacus AI, © Homefront AuctionsOriginal illustration based on published descriptions

Reef-flat cardinalfish

Ostorhinchus taeniophorus

Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).

English
Reef-flat cardinalfish
Scientific
Ostorhinchus taeniophorus
Dhivehi
No recorded Dhivehi name
Group
Reef fish
Family
Apogonidae (cardinalfishes)
Maximum size
Up to about 12 cm (total length)
Depth and habitat
Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 0 to 15 m
IUCN status
NE · Not EvaluatedNot Evaluated (NE)

Description

A whitish cardinalfish with five or six black stripes and no tail spot, reaching about 12 cm. It hides in holes on surge-exposed outer reef flats and is nocturnal.

Sources

Dhivehi name source: No Dhivehi name found in MRS 1997 (available chapters), FishBase (country: Maldives) or Dhivehi Wikipedia.