Flower cardinalfish (Ostorhinchus fleurieu)
Source-cited species reference: taxonomy from WoRMS, biology from FishBase, occurrence map from GBIF, conservation from IUCN Red List, description from Wikipedia.
Last updated
Diego Delso · via Wikipedia: Ostorhinchus fleurieu · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ostorhinchus fleurieu (flower cardinalfish, gold cardinalfish, bullseye cardinalfish, cardinalfish, ring-tail cardinalfish or ringtailed cardinalfish) is a species of cardinalfish native to the Red Sea and Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the waters around East Africa, Seychelles, India, Sri Lanka, the Indo-Malayan region, and Hong Kong., south to the Ashmore Reef, Western Australia. It is the type species of the genus Ostorhinchus. The specific name honours the French explorer and hydrographer Charles Pierre Claret, comte de Fleurieu (1738-1810) who was a colleague and friend of Lacepède's.
Scientific classification
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassActinopterygii
- DivisionTeleostei
- OrderGobiiformes
- FamilyApogonidae
- GenusOstorhinchus
- SpeciesOstorhinchus fleurieu
Named by Lacepède, 1802
Close relatives
Other species of Ostorhinchus with a Codexery entry.
- Ostorhinchus capricornis Ostorhinchus capricornis
- Ostorhinchus compressus Ostorhinchus compressus
- Ostorhinchus cyanosoma Ostorhinchus cyanosoma
- Ostorhinchus doederleini Ostorhinchus doederleini
- Ostorhinchus fasciatus Ostorhinchus fasciatus
- Ostorhinchus maculiferus
- Ostorhinchus aureus
Sources: Wikipedia taxobox: Ostorhinchus fleurieu (CC BY-SA 4.0) · differs from this box at order: WoRMS AphiaID 319878 (CC BY 4.0)
Conservation status
Least Concern (LC)
- LC▲ this species
- NT
- VU
- EN
- CR
- EW
- EX
Source: IUCN Red List assessment · GBIF copy of the Red List category
How big is it?
Largest length in the source, 0.14 m, next to a 1.8 m person.
Diagram: drawn by Codexery, schematic shapes to scale (not a likeness). Length: FishBase species summary
Where the flower cardinalfish (ostorhinchus fleurieu) has been recorded
Each dot is a place where the species has been observed and reported (408 records, half-degree grid) — not a modelled range. 22 inland records left out (institution coordinates).
Map: drawn by Codexery. Data: GBIF occurrence search (records CC0 / CC BY) · Natural Earth basemap (public domain) · place coordinates: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Classification (WoRMS)
Full classification as recorded by WoRMS: Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Teleostei · Order: Apogoniformes · Family: Apogonidae · Genus: Ostorhinchus.
Accepted name: Ostorhinchus fleurieu · Authority: Lacepède, 1802 · Taxonomic status: accepted · AphiaID: 319878.
Synonyms and superseded combinations recorded for this taxon: Apogon fleurieu (Lacepède, 1802); Ostorhynchus fleurieu Lacepède, 1802.
Source: World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=319878 (CC BY 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Biology and life history (FishBase)
Measured values published by FishBase for Ostorhinchus fleurieu. Only fields the database actually holds for this species are shown; these are database values, not aquarium guidance.
Maximum length: 14.199999809265137 cm · Depth range: 1–97 m · Habitat zone: reef-associated · Body shape: short and / or deep · Vulnerability index: 10 of 100 · Fishery importance: of no interest · Aquarium trade: never/rarely.
FishBase notes: Common in shallow coastal reefs with moderate currents (Ref. 48636). Also in tidal channels of estuaries (Ref. 48636). Adults usually in small schools comprising pairs (Ref. 48636).
Source: FishBase species summary (SpecCode 4838) — https://www.fishbase.se/summary/Ostorhinchus-fleurieu.html (CC BY-NC 3.0 — non-commercial use only). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Distribution and occurrence records (GBIF)
408 georeferenced occurrence records for Ostorhinchus fleurieu are published through GBIF from 34 countries or marine areas. The map above plots 77 distinct locations from a sample of 408 records, omitting 22 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: Hong Kong (68); Japan (53); Philippines (38); Chinese Taipei (37); Thailand (30); China (21); Indonesia (21); Australia (20); Seychelles (19); Israel (13); Oman (12); Viet Nam (9); South Africa (8); Madagascar (7); Mozambique (7).
Source: GBIF Occurrence Search (taxonKey 2397257) — https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?taxon_key=2397257&has_coordinate=true (records CC0 / CC BY); WoRMS distribution records (MarineRegions) — https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=319878 (CC BY 4.0); Natural Earth 110m basemap — https://www.naturalearthdata.com/ (public domain). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Conservation status (IUCN Red List)
The IUCN Red List assesses Ostorhinchus fleurieu Lacepède, 1802 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 154912) — https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/154912/0; GBIF IUCN Red List category endpoint (taxonKey 2397257) — https://api.gbif.org/v1/species/2397257/iucnRedListCategory. Accessed 2026-09-25.
Description and natural history (Wikipedia)
A coppery-coloured fish with a broad blackish bar at the base of the tail, it is up to 12.5 cm in length. In juveniles, the base of the tail has a spot rather than a bar. The upper jaw has a narrow blue streak, and a broad, blackish stripe extends from the front of the snout to the eye. It is easily confused with Ostorhinchus aureus, where the black tail bar is narrower in the centre than at the ends.
Adults occur in small schools made up of pairs of fish from 7 m to at least 73 m in depth, associated with coral reefs. It normally occurs in shallow areas with coral reefswhere there are moderate currents. It is found with small to large schools which shelter in crevices.
Source: Wikipedia: Ostorhinchus fleurieu — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostorhinchus_fleurieu (CC BY-SA 4.0). Accessed 2026-09-25.
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Ostorhinchus fleurieu (CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Classification: the source article's taxobox; compare WoRMS, the World Register of Marine Species (CC BY 4.0).
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List assessment.
- Occurrence records: GBIF (CC0 / CC BY). Basemap: Natural Earth (public domain).
- Biology values: FishBase species summary (CC BY-NC 3.0, non-commercial).
- Word definitions: the , each quoted from its Wikipedia article.
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