Duskytail Cardinalfish
Taeniamia macroptera
- Usual depth1–6 m
- Water temperature25–30 °C
- Best monthsMarch, April, and June
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 3 records
- February: 5 records
- March: 9 records
- April: 12 records
- May: 8 records
- June: 13 records
- July: 8 records
- August: 6 records
- September: 6 records
- October: 2 records
- November: 5 records
- December: 5 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 1–6 m · Deepest record: 22.5 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 25–30 °C
Photos
(c) Debra Baker, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
no rights reserved · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist 
(c) Ditch Townsend, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist 
(c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) portioid, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Bernard DUPONT, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist 
(c) Ditch Townsend, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · CC BY-SA · iNaturalist
Names and classification
- English
- Duskytail Cardinalfish, Dusky-tailed Cardinalfish, Faint-lined Cardinalfish
Names in 2 more languages
- Japanese
- Atohikitenjikudai, アトヒキテンジクダイ
- Simplified Chinese
- 真帶天竺鯛（大鰭帶天竺鯛）
Other scientific names: Apogon argenteus, Apogon macropterus, Apogon macropteus, Apogon zeylonicus, Archamia macroptera, Archamia macropterus, Archamia zeylonicus
Similar species
Narrow-lined CardinalfishTaeniamia fucata
Blackspot CardinalfishTaeniamia biguttata
Blackbelted CardinalfishTaeniamia zosterophora
- shimmering cardinal
Taeniamia lineolata
Pearly-finned CardinalfishJaydia poeciloptera
Barred Striped CardinalfishOstorhinchus fasciatus
Sources and credits
Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).
- Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
- Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
- 62 open-data records from 1929 to 2014.
- Species data updated October 31, 2026.
Log what you see on your next dive
The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.