Fish identification archive / Barred Cardinalfish

Barred Cardinalfish

Apogon binotatus

Fun facts for your next surface interval

Its tail edge is slightly concave. [source]
The lateral line continues onto the tail-fin base. [source]
Small teeth occur on the roof of the mouth. [source]

Florida and local context

Apogon binotatus is a species-level row in the Blue Heron Bridge (WPB), Phil Foster Park report.

A documented past record does not establish present abundance or guarantee an encounter.

Sources: REEF: named-site cumulative survey supplied with reservation

How to recognize this animal

Pale bronze with a yellowish belly and two narrow dark bars: one behind the second dorsal-fin base, another across the tail base.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Size and life stages

Smithsonian reports a maximum length of 15 cm. This is a regional upper record, not a typical local encounter size.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Habitat and where to look

Reefs and associated bottom habitats; reported at 0–60 m.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Range and local context

Bermuda to the southern Caribbean. Corridor inclusion instead rests on the named-site evidence below.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus; REEF: named-site cumulative survey supplied with reservation

What is on the menu?

The Smithsonian account lists: Zooplankton.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Daily habits and behavior

The database includes bottom and midwater positions; local schooling or nocturnal habits were not independently established.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Mating and the next generation

Brooded eggs and pelagic larvae are listed. Local spawning dates, brood size and detailed parental roles were not verified.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Look-alikes and identification traps

Compare other barred cardinalfishes by the placement and width of both bars, rather than general bronze color.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Observe without disturbing

Maintain buoyancy and give this fish space. Do not touch, feed, collect or reposition it for a photograph. These are editorial observation recommendations, not a harvest assessment.

Sources: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Apogon binotatus

Harvest, protection and eating safety

Live-only collection; closed sites override

Verified listed-group live collection, not recreational food harvest and not a blanket protected-species designation.

This color is a qualified summary, not permission to collect or a guarantee that a particular animal is safe to eat.

Can it be hunted or harvested?

Apogonidae cardinalfish; listed marine-life family. Where collection is lawful, land and maintain alive using adequate life support. Daily limit: five of a species within 20 organisms; two-day possession: ten of a species within 40 organisms. Recreational sale prohibited; license and allowed nonlethal gear rules apply.

Florida seasons and areas

No affirmative year-round food-harvest or seasonal clearance assigned. FWC marine-life requirements also apply in federal waters. Check mapped boundaries before any take. Blue Heron Bridge prohibits marine-life collection within the designated dive-site area, not all county fishing. Biscayne prohibits ornamental collection without a superintendent permit and has a mapped March 1–May 31 fishing/possession closure, effective March 2026, with properly stowed continuous transit excepted. Pennekamp prohibits tropical-fish collection and spearfishing. Key Largo Management Area prohibits taking tropical fish and marine invertebrates; the latter exceptions are commercial spiny-lobster/stone-crab trapping and recreational spiny-lobster hand/hand-gear take under applicable rules, not recreational crab collection. It separately prohibits spearfishing. Sanctuary Preservation Areas prohibit fishing and collection subject only to expressly stated exceptions. These are site restrictions, not a corridor-wide fishing ban.

Can it be speared?

Do not spear a live-only collection species. FWC allows specified nonlethal methods; no quinaldine. FWC restricts spearfishing near public swimming beaches, fishing piers/bridges, jetties and in state parks. The Long Key-north Monroe restriction concerns state waters; Key Largo Management Area has a separate prohibition. Federal location alone is not clearance.

Is it safe to eat?

Live-only collection is not recreational food harvest. No species/site-specific food-safety clearance or meal frequency was established. Legal harvest does not mean safe to eat; some marine toxins survive cooking and freezing. Consult current Florida Health guidance and local advisories. No dated, species-matched local menu evidence was verified; recipes remain disabled.

Apogonidae cardinalfish; listed marine-life family.

This review covers the Vero Beach–Key Largo Atlantic corridor: Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Florida Atlantic state waters and South Atlantic federal waters are distinct jurisdictions. Do not extend a state-water season tag to federal waters or transfer Atlantic rules to Gulf-side Keys waters. Park and sanctuary boundaries can override a species allowance.

Before you act: Confirm the species, date, exact management area, state or federal waters, gear, licenses and current local closures. A local occurrence record never grants permission to take an animal.

Official rules and health guidance

Reviewed 2026-11-11. Rules and advisories can change; check the linked authorities before acting.

Identification and source cautions

Historical citizen-science occurrence is not an independently reidentified voucher or current sighting probability.
Regional habitat, depth and range are not proof of presence at every corridor site.
Maximum length is source-specific; local breeding and daily activity schedules were not established.

Sources and review

Biology and taxonomy reviewed 2026-11-11. Photographs on cited sites are reference material and are not reproduced here.

Make your next dive happen

Review current dates, availability, prices, inclusions and requirements on each listing before booking or buying.

Call us now

(772) 600-8288

Ask about marine life identification

Marine Life Identification

Ask about dates, prerequisites or your next step. An inquiry does not reserve a place. Please provide your own contact details; do not include medical, payment or a child's personal information.

We use these details to respond to your inquiry. This form does not sign you up for marketing.