How related are they?
Same subfamily, Apogoninae (Typical cardinalfishes): close cousins
They split at the genus level: the Pajama Cardinalfish belongs to Sphaeramia (Pajama cardinalfishes), the Banggai Cardinalfish to Pterapogon (Banggai cardinalfishes).
Find the Pajama Cardinalfish on the tree · Find the Banggai 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 | Pajama Cardinalfish | Banggai 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 | Sphaeramia Pajama cardinalfishes | Pterapogon Banggai cardinalfishes |
| Species | Sphaeramia nematoptera Pajama Cardinalfish | Pterapogon kauderni Banggai Cardinalfish |
Care, side by side
| Fact | Pajama Cardinalfish | Banggai 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, Small marine pellets | Frozen mysis shrimp, Enriched brine shrimp, Frozen copepods or cyclops |
| Max size | 3.5 in (8.9 cm) | 3 in (7.6 cm) |
| Minimum tank | 30 gal | 40 gal |
| Temperature | 72–78 °F | 77–81 °F |
| Salinity (SG) | 1.020–1.025 | 1.021–1.025 |
| pH | 8.1–8.4 | 8.1–8.3 |
| Nitrate | 0–10 ppm | 0–10 ppm |
| Lifespan | Poorly documented. One hobby guide estimates 2-5 years in aquariums; no reliable published maximum was found. | 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. |
| Breeding | Hard | Easy |
| Conservation (IUCN) | Least Concern | Endangered |