Doederlein's cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus doederleini)

Classification (WoRMS)

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

Accepted name: Ostorhinchus doederleini · Authority: (Jordan & Snyder, 1901) · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 713303.

Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Apogon doderleini Jordan & Snyder, 1901; Apogon doederleini Jordan & Snyder, 1901.

Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=713303 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Biology and life history (FishBase)

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

Maximum length: 14 cm · Depth range: 0–10 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100.

FishBase notes: Commonly occurs in rocky areas near shore and abundant on ledges. Solitary but pair off during breeding. Mouth brooding is done by the male. Nocturnal species (Ref. 7300).

Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 8587) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Ostorhinchus-doederleini.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-23.

Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)

1,781 georeferenced occurrence records for Ostorhinchus doederleini are published through GBIF from 17 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 160 distinct locations from a sample of 1,781 records, omitting 35 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: Australia (956); Japan (425); Hong Kong (104); Chinese Taipei (73); Korea, Republic of (69).

The full country table, WoRMS marine regions and the sampling notes are on this species' Distribution page.

Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 7193062) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=7193062&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=713303 (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 Ostorhinchus doederleini (Jordan & Snyder, 1901) 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 193372) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/193372/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 7193062) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/7193062/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-23.

Description and natural history (Wikipedia)

This species reaches about 14 centimeters long. The male and female look alike. The body is pinkish or brownish with four brown lines reaching nearly from head to tail. There is a black spot at the base of the tail. The fish grows until it reaches 3 years of age, and it lives to a maximum age of about 7 years.

This fish lives in rocky habitat types near the shore, such as ledges. It is nocturnal. During the day it hides in caves and rock crevices. It feeds on invertebrates, especially gammarid amphipods.

It is solitary until the breeding season, when it forms pairs. The pairings are short-lived, with male and female courting for a few hours during the afternoon for a few days in a row. During these visits the pair performs a "parallel-circling" behavior, in which they circle each other with the female pointing towards the male's side and occasionally poking him with her nose. As they court, both fish change color, becoming paler, especially in their dark markings. The female may chase away other fish that come near. After a few episodes of circling the female releases a mass of eggs about 2 to 3 centimeters wide.

Like other members of its family, this species is a paternal mouthbrooder, the male tending the eggs by storing them in his mouth. Within seconds of the female's spawning, the male scoops the egg mass into his mouth. The female departs and the male is solitary while brooding. He may incubate several broods during one breeding season, which is a few months long, depending on location. One mass contains about 10,000 eggs. One brood is incubated for 5 to 17 days. The length of time depends on water temperature.

A larger male will generally incubate more eggs at a time. Also, males' mouths get larger during the breeding season, expanding significantly. The lower jaw becomes more depressed in shape.

The male quite often eats his eggs. In one study, 361 egg masses were brooded by males, and they had eaten 47 of them within one day. Other studies saw the overall cannibalism rate at 12 to 18%. When a male is mouthbrooding, he does not eat any normal food. As the end of the breeding season nears, after he has reared several broods, he has weakened physically. At this time it is more likely that he will eat the eggs. Younger males, though, often eat the first eggs of the season, possibly because they are still growing and can benefit more from the nutrition than from bearing offspring. Sometimes a male will only swallow a few of the eggs, perhaps to make his mouth less crowded or improve oxygenation for the remaining ones. A male is also more likely to eat eggs spawned by a smaller female than a larger one. Afterwards, he will quickly pair with a different female, suggesting that he chooses which mate to invest in.

This fish is host to the parasitic chondracanthid copepod Pseudacanthocanthopsis apogonis.

The specific name honours the German zoologist Ludwig Döderlein (1855-1936) who had been connected to the Imperial University at Tokyo in recognition of his work on the fishes of Japan.

Source: Wikipedia: Ostorhinchus doederleini — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostorhinchus_doederleini (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-23.