Belted/Barred Cardinalfish

Apogon townsendi /binotatus

Hide under overhangs and in deeper rock crevasses and reef recesses during the day, seen in water about four feet or more. Seen more often as the sun does down and they begin to move toward openings in anticipation of their night feeding time. They are orange and often their sides are a brilliant reddish orange color that almost seems to glow. They have two belts that go vertically around their tails and divide the tail into two sections, adjacent to the tail fin, there are is one lower and one upper black spot. (Slightly visible in picture number one.)  The Barred Cardinalfish has a black line that runs from their rear dorsal fin to the tail,

Belted Cardinalfish - Apogon townsendi
Belted Cardinalfish - Apogon townsendi
Belted Cardinalfish - Apogon townsendi
Barred Cardinalfish - Apogon binotatus

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