Smith's cardinalfish (Jaydia smithi)

Classification (WoRMS)

Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Apogoniformes · Family: Apogonidae · Genus: Jaydia.

Accepted name: Jaydia smithi · Authority: Kotthaus, 1970 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 313170.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Apogon hung Fourmanoir & Do-Thi, 1965; Apogon hungi Fourmanoir & Do-Thi, 1965; Apogon smithi (Kotthaus, 1970); Apogon smithii (Kotthaus, 1970); Jaydia hungi Fourmanoir, 1967; Jaydia hungi (Fourmanoir & Do-Thi, 1965).

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=313170 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

Measured values published by FishBase for Jaydia smithi. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.

Maximum length: 14.5 cm · Depth range: 22–230 m · Habitat zone: demersal · Body shape: fusiform / normal · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.

FishBase notes: Found over silty bottom (Ref. 37816).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 59514) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Jaydia-smithi.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

508 georeferenced occurrence records for Jaydia smithi are published through GBIF from 23 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 47 distinct locations from a sample of 508 records, omitting 15 inland records that carry an institution's coordinates rather than a collection site; it shows where the species has been observed and reported, not a modelled range.

Most records by country or area: Israel (412); Philippines (21); China (9); Australia (8); Türkiye (8); Malaysia (6); Thailand (6); Greece (5); Eritrea (4); Egypt (3); Indonesia (3); Myanmar (3); Somalia (3); Chinese Taipei (3); Cyprus (2).

Marine regions with a valid WoRMS distribution record: Egyptian part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Turkey; Lebanese part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin; Syrian part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2397095) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2397095&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=313170 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Conservation status (IUCN Red List)

The IUCN Red List assesses Jaydia smithi Kotthaus, 1970 as Least Concern (code LC). No trend, population estimate or threat analysis is given here, because none is available from this source without the Red List API; follow the source link for the full assessment, including its date.

Source: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (taxon 193320) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/193320/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2397095) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2397095/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

J. smithi has a slightly compressed, oblong body with two dorsal fins, the first having a deeply notched membrane with the third and fourth spines being the longest. The second dorsal fin is much taller than the first. The anal fin starts slightly behind the front edge of second dorsal fin. The caudal fin is rounded, but may be truncated. The mouth is slightly oblique and terminal, and stretches back to line up with the rear margin of the large eye. The preoperculum edge is serrated, with three to seven flat, small serrations at the angle of the lower rear border. The scales are large and finely ctenoid. The lateral line has 24-26 scales and the one or two scales at the base of the caudal fin lack pores. It is light tan in colour, becoming paler towards the whitish belly, with five or six faint, dark bars which fade completely in larger specimens. The front portion of the front dorsal fin is black with a series of black dots forming a line on the lower third of the rear dorsal fin. The outer margins of the second dorsal and the rear margins of the caudal fins are black. The pectoral fins and pelvic fins are transparent, darkening from white to light grey as the animal grows. Normally between 4–10 cm in length, they have a maximum length of 15 cm.

J. smithi has an Indo-Pacific distribution from the Red Sea to the Marshall Islands, north to Taiwan and south to Indonesia. It was first recorded in the Mediterranean Sea off Jaffa, Israel, in 2007 and it has since become established all the way to the Anatolian coast of Turkey and off Egypt. It was likely introduced from the Red Sea, via the Suez Canal.

Smith's cardinalfish is a nocturnal species that hides among rocks and reefs during the day and emerges at night to feed on invertebrates over sandy to muddy substrate at depths of 30–50 m. It spawns during the warmer months and is a mouthbrooding species, which shows pairing behavior during courtship and spawning; the males are responsible for incubating the eggs. An organ produces bioluminescence in the abdomen.

The specific name honours the South African ichthyologist James Leonard Brierley Smith (1897-1968), who in 1961 wrote a monograph on the cardinalfishes of the Indian Ocean in which he proposed the genus Jaydia.

Source: Wikipedia: Jaydia smithi — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaydia_smithi (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.