Emperor Cardinals

[scott133]

HI

how do you tell which is male and female with the emperor cardinals


regards scott

 

[mutantbigman2000]

the male leaves the toilet seat up and the female moans about the top being left off the toothpaste.

 

[Colin_T]

the male leaves the toilet seat up and the female moans about the top being left off the toothpaste.

rofl

what's an emperor cardinal, ie do you have a scientific name for them?

 

[mutantbigman2000]

think he means bangai cardinal.

sometimes labelled emperors here in the uk.

 

[SkiFletch]

Agreed, Emperor = Bangaii

If there's a way to tell them apart I'd love to know as well. Always wondered that myself

 

[Colin_T]

Some people say you can tell the differences between male & female by looking at the fins and the black spots, but it isn't very accurate. The most effective way of sexing them is to look at the mouth. The males have a more squared off bottom jaw and the females is rounded. This is due to the buccal pouch of the males. The other way is if the male has a mouthful of eggs but then that doesn't happen in the shop tanks so isn't very helpful.

Bangaiis (Pterapogon kauderni) are highly territorial and should be kept in prs or in large groups consisting of 12 or more (preferably 20+) individuals. But big tanks are needed for large colonies, (ie: 6x2x2ft).

 

[scott133]

would it be ok to keep 4 in 200l aquarium

you people must thing how many aquariums i have got and i have 7 aquariums which is called my fish room will have pics up soon one the new aquarium gets sorted

 

[1234-fishy-freind]

With my pair of cardinals, the male has a shorter dorsal fin than the female, but not by much. The femcale also has more silver spots on her side.
As for the mouth shape, only when the pair are breeding can I see a difference as the males mouth becomes huge towards the bottem, but otherwise, they are pretty similar.
I wouldnt recommend keeping 4 in 200l as aggression would eventually take hold and as said eariler, by colin,the safest bet is either a pair, or a large group in a large tank.
With a pair, there is a good chance of them breeding.
My pair have just bred for the 7th time. Although catching the male is no easy task, the reward for raising and selling the fry is very much welcomed.

Hope this has helped.