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A highly attractive fish with black and silver bands and white polka dots, the Banggai Cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) is a small reef fish native only to the Banggai Islands in Indonesia. There they feed on drifting zooplankton and occupy anemones in numbers that would make a clownfish blush, amiably sharing their homes with other small fish and crustaceans. 

Yet despite its striking appearance, this handsome fish was almost entirely lost to science for more than half a century. Unknown except for a single specimen that was first described in 1933, the species was never seen again, and it promptly fell back into complete anonymity. Then for over 62 years, the Banggai remained virtually unknown until it was rediscovered again in the mid-1990s. This time its reappearance sparked much more interest and study, and scientists were quick to note its fascinating reproductive behaviour.

Like other cardinal fish, the male Bangaii incubates the eggs in its mouth. But unlike other cardinal fish which release hundreds and sometimes thousands of tiny, speck-like eggs, the female Banggai produces no more than 30 to 50 eggs in one clutch, each the size of a peppercorn, which the male then sucks up and holds in his mouth.

While other male cardinal fish usually only hold on to the eggs until they hatch and then release them into the currents, Banggai males hold on to their young until they are juveniles, a period of about 30 days, during which the males do not eat. When the new generation of baby fish emerges, they are perfectly formed little replicas of the adults.

Such a huge parental effort certainly helps the offspring’s chances of survival, but the small number of eggs and the fact that they are not released into currents as larvae might explain why the Banggai's habitat appears to be so limited. However, every cloud has a silver lining - even underwater. While the lengthy period of nurturing means that Banggais are very limited in their natural range, it also means that they are one of the easiest fish to breed in captivity and are easily home-bred by hobbyists.