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Ochre-striped Cardinalfish
Cardinalfish

Ochre-striped Cardinalfish

Ostorhinchus compressus

A hardy, frequently imported cardinalfish from the Indo-West Pacific that shoals well and hovers placidly over the reef by day, becoming more active at dusk. Peaceful and reef-safe, it settles best kept in a small group rather than singly. At up to 12 cm as an adult it is larger than most cardinals in the trade, and retailers recommend a genuinely spacious tank (LiveAquaria cites 55 gallons/~208 L, with some care sites recommending considerably more for a settled group) rather than the cramped nano setup sometimes assumed for 'cardinalfish' generally. Treat very small ornamental shrimp with some caution around an adult.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
4.7"
Min tank
55 gal
Reef-safe
Reef safe
Diet
Carnivore
Zone
Mid-water, Rockwork
Best in a shoal of 3+.
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Tankmates

How Ochre-striped Cardinalfish gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Purple TangPurple Tang (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Picasso TriggerfishPicasso Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Dragon WrasseDragon Wrasse has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Volitans LionfishVolitans Lionfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Golden Dwarf MorayGolden Dwarf Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Rectangle TriggerfishRectangle Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Miniata GrouperMiniata Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Six-Line SoapfishSix-Line Soapfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Painted FrogfishPainted Frogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Tiger Pistol ShrimpOchre-striped Cardinalfish hunts ornamental shrimp — your Tiger Pistol Shrimp is on the menu.Dogface PufferDogface Puffer has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Porcupine PufferPorcupine Puffer has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.Lunare WrasseLunare Wrasse (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Spanish HogfishSpanish Hogfish has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Ochre-striped Cardinalfish.

Keep an eye on these

Usually fine, but worth watching in a smaller tank.

Sailfin TangSailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Red Coris WrasseRed Coris Wrasse (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Emperor AngelfishEmperor Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Queen AngelfishQueen Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Blueface AngelfishBlueface Angelfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Niger TriggerfishNiger Triggerfish (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Blonde Naso TangBlonde Naso Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.Desjardini Sailfin TangDesjardini Sailfin Tang (semi-aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Ochre-striped Cardinalfish and may harass it.