Phaeoptyx conklini
A small reddish cardinalfish logged at Lighthouse Reef, Belize, hiding in reef crevices year-round in warm 25-28C water.
A small, big-eyed reef fish rarely more than 6 cm long, with a reddish-brown to tan body and faint dusky mottling that gives it a freckled look rather than bold stripes. The body is compact and slightly compressed, typical of cardinalfish, with two dorsal fins and a blunt head. Look for the plain, unmarked tail and the lack of any strong lateral stripe, which sets it apart from the more boldly patterned cardinalfish it shares reef crevices with.
Expect to find it tucked into crevices, under ledges, or hovering close to coral heads during the day, in the shy, shelter-hugging manner typical of small cardinalfish. It is not a fish that swims out to greet divers; a slow look into reef nooks and holes is usually how it gets spotted. Like most cardinalfish, it likely becomes more active and mobile after dark, though most diver sightings come from daytime reef scans.
Cardinalfish in this family are mouthbrooders, meaning the male carries the fertilised eggs in his mouth until they hatch, a trait shared across the whole apogonid family even though it has not been specifically logged for this species.
No clear seasonal pattern shows up in the sightings, and the water it has been logged in sits in a steady 25.4 to 28.2C range, so it looks like a year-round resident of Lighthouse Reef rather than a seasonal visitor.
Reef neighbours a diver could mistake it for. Use the identification notes above to tell them apart.
Currently a reliable sighting only at Lighthouse Reef in Belize, where divers have logged it hiding in reef structure. It has not yet turned up widely elsewhere in the data, so Belize is the place to look for it right now.
Mapping where Freckled Cardinalfish is logged…
The only confirmed sightings so far come from Lighthouse Reef in Belize, where it has been logged as an uncommon find tucked into reef crevices.
There is no detected season in the sighting data, and it has been recorded in water between 25.4 and 28.2C, suggesting it is present on the reef year-round rather than at a specific time of year.
Look for a small, reddish-brown fish under 6 cm with faint mottled freckling rather than sharp stripes, a big dark eye, and a plain unmarked tail, usually seen sheltering in a reef crevice.
They stay small, typically around 6 cm as adults, which is a common size for reef-dwelling cardinalfish in this family.
No, they pose no danger to divers. They are small, shy reef fish that stay close to shelter and have no venom or aggressive behaviour toward people.
Like other cardinalfish, males of this family are typically mouthbrooders, carrying fertilised eggs in their mouth for protection until the young are ready to hatch.
Site and sighting data is aggregated from diver logs, iNaturalist and GBIF. For taxonomy and conservation status:
Iridescent Cardinalfish
1,784 sites
