Tiny Cardinalfish

Appearance

Dorsal spines (total): 7; Dorsal soft rays (total): 9; Anal spines: 2; Anal soft rays: 8; Vertebrae: 24. This species is distinguished by having D VI-I,9; A II,8; pectoral rays 13; lateral line scales 24; predorsal scales 5; gill rakers 7 or 8+20 or 21, excluding an indistinct rudiment on upper limb; preopercular margin serrate; preopercular ridge smooth; body depth 3.4-3.7 in SL; semi-transparent in life with golden-brown midlateral strip, bordered below by narrow silver stripe; tip of lower jaw blackish. Max Size: 7 cm

Naming

Name from Latin 'nanus' meaning dwarf, referring to its size being one of the smallest in the genus.

Distribution

Western Central Pacific: Madang, Papua New Guinea; Maumere, Indonesia; and, near Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia.

Habitat

Marine; reef-associated; depth range 3 - 20 m. Occurs in silty inshore reefs; aggregations observed hovering during the day around both soft and hard coral formations.

Reproduction

Mouthbrooders. Distinct pairing during courtship and spawning.