Barspot Cardinalfish: Small, Red, and a Devoted Dad

The barspot cardinalfish is a small, coppery-red fish marked with two dark bars and a spot near the tail. It's a shy night fish that hides in crevices by day — and the males are among the ocean's most dedicated dads. Here's how to spot one near Jacó, plus five fun facts.

Barspot Cardinalfish · Apogon retrosella

How to spot the barspot cardinalfish near Jacó

Look into shaded cracks, crevices, and the spaces under ledges on the rocky reef. Barspot cardinalfish hover just inside, where their reddish bodies and the two dark bars are easy to pick out once your eyes adjust to the shadow. They're small, so move slowly and look close.

5 fun facts about the barspot cardinalfish

• Dad carries the eggs in his mouth. Male cardinalfish are mouthbrooders — the father holds the fertilized eggs in his mouth until they hatch, going without eating to keep them safe.
• Two bars and a spot. Two dark bars across a coppery-red body, plus a spot near the tail, make this one easy to tell from other little reef fish.
• A creature of the shadows. It spends the day resting in crevices and caves, becoming active and feeding after dark like the rest of the reef's night shift.
• Big eyes, small fish. Those relatively large eyes are the classic sign of a nocturnal reef fish built for hunting in low light.
• An Eastern Pacific native. It lives along the Pacific coast from the Gulf of California southward, so it's right at home in our waters.

The barspot cardinalfish is just one of many characters down there. See the whole cast in our Snorkel Jaco fish directory, or read real guest photos and reviews on the Snorkel Jaco reviews.