Fivelined Cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus)

The Fivelined Cardinalfish (Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus) is a robust and adaptable cardinalfish distinguished by a clean pattern of five bold black horizontal stripes on a silvery body, accented by a bright yellow patch at the base of the tail. It is widely distributed across the Indo-Pacific and Red Sea, where it forms small schools around coral bommies and branching coral structures. In the aquarium it thrives when kept in groups of three or more, displaying natural shoaling behavior and interesting social interactions. Like all cardinalfish it is a mouthbrooder — males incubate the egg mass in their mouths — and spontaneous breeding in captivity is possible in well-established systems.

Maintain in groups of at least three in a minimum 100-liter aquarium with ample live rock for shelter and territory. Feed twice daily with frozen mysis, enriched brine shrimp, and small marine pellets. Peaceful with most reef fish; avoid combining with very aggressive species. Nocturnal in nature — most active at dawn, dusk, and after lights out. Reef-safe with all corals and invertebrates.