Fish Identification Perth WA
Shore Diving
Cardinalfish & Gobbleguts
Cardinalfishes are a family, Apogonidae, of ray-finned fishes. They are found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, they are chiefly marine, but some species are found in brackish water... (Wikipedia)
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Western (Red) Striped Cardinalfish
(Apogon victoriae)
These photographs of the Western Red where taken at Robbs Jetty however these are common on all the dive sites.
If you are at Robbs have a little look in the top of the rotted pylons I have seen plenty of the Western Red here and it does make for a nice photograph. That said they are abundant and you really do not need to go looking for them.
Western (Red) Striped Cardinalfish
"Brooding Young in Mouth"
I have waited a long time to get close to having one of these photographs. And even on this day it wasn't as easy as I thought it was going to be to get these shots. Doesn't he realise I have a website to update.
Took me about twenty minutes and heaven knows how many tries, but he wouldn't give it up, well not easily anyway.
But we kind of got there in the end and we do have images you can clearly see the eggs being brooded in its mouth.
Juveniles
Taken at Robbs Jetty.
Western (Red) Striped Cardinalfish
"With Parasite Attached (Isopod)"
These photographs taken at Robbs Jetty.
I am unaware of the relationship between this parasite and the Cardinalfish. I have not noticed these parasites on any other fish, not that's to say it doesn't happen.
I have only seen them on younger or smaller Cardinalfish. I am unsure if this is just coincidence or has some significance to what fish the parasite prefers.
Possibly Cooks Cardinalfish
(Apogon cookii)
(Consider Juvenile Western Red Stripe)
Now I have to be honest about the identification of these fish.
I believe them to be Cooks Cardinalfish, they certainly fit the description. However I am lead to believe that they are more common further North in warmer waters.
These things are tiny and a wee bit shy so getting a quality close up was difficult.
I obviously have to consider that these are either a sibling species or juveniles of other Cardinal like fish.
Western Gobbleguts
(Apogon rueppellii)
Cardinalfish brood their young in their mouths, hence the alternative name "Gobbleguts"
IF YOU'RE NOT GOING DOWN: THEN WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU GOING
