How related are they?
Same subfamily, Apogoninae (Typical cardinalfishes): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Banggai Cardinalfish belongs to Pterapogon (Banggai cardinalfishes), the Pajama Cardinalfish to Sphaeramia (Pajama cardinalfishes).
Find the Banggai Cardinalfish on the tree · Find the Pajama Cardinalfish on the tree
Family lines, side by side
Highlighted rows are groups both animals belong to. The marked row is where their lines go separate ways.
| Rank | Banggai Cardinalfish | Pajama Cardinalfish |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia Animals | |
| Phylum | Chordata Chordates | |
| Subphylum | Vertebrata Vertebrates | |
| Infraphylum | Gnathostomata jawed vertebrates | |
| Parvphylum | Osteichthyes bony fishes | |
| Gigaclass | Actinopterygii ray-finned fishes | |
| Superclass | Actinopteri | |
| Class | Teleostei Teleost fishes | |
| Order | Apogoniformes Cardinalfishes and nurseryfishes | |
| Family | Apogonidae Cardinalfishes | |
| Subfamily | Apogoninae Typical cardinalfishes | |
| Genus split | Pterapogon Banggai cardinalfishes | Sphaeramia Pajama cardinalfishes |
| Species | Pterapogon kauderni Banggai Cardinalfish | Sphaeramia nematoptera Pajama Cardinalfish |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Banggai Cardinalfish | Pajama Cardinalfish |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Fish · Cardinalfish | Fish · Cardinalfish |
| Care level | Easy | Easy |
| Reef safe | Yes | Yes |
| Temperament | Peaceful | Peaceful |
| Diet | Carnivore | Carnivore |
| Favorite foods | Frozen mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Frozen copepods or cyclops | Frozen mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Small marine pellets |
| Max size | 3 in (7.6 cm) | 3.5 in (8.9 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 40 gal | 30 gal |
| Temperature | 77–81 °F | 72–78 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.021–1.025 | 1.020–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.3 | 8.1–8.4 |
| Nitrate | 0–10 ppm | 0–10 ppm |
| Lifespan | About 4 years in good captive conditions and perhaps only 1-2 years in the wild, according to published estimates summarized on Wikipedia. Long-term captive records are scarce. | Poorly documented. One hobby guide estimates 2-5 years in aquariums; no reliable published maximum was found. |
| Breeding | Easy | Hard |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Endangered | Least Concern |