Sailfin cardinalfish
Quinca mirifica
Sailfin cardinalfish possess striking blue-green bodies, elongated dorsal fins, and distinctive vertical black stripes along their flanks.
This page includes AI-generated images. Why am I seeing AI images?
About the Sailfin cardinalfish
Jet-black with a white tail and a tall sail-like second dorsal, this Australian cardinalfish looks dramatic even at rest. It spends days tucked under reef ledges and emerges at night to pick off small crustaceans. Males mouthbrood the eggs and can flash bright silver during courtship.
Also known as
Quick Facts
Size
12+ cm SL
Temperament
Semi-aggressive
Difficulty
Intermediate
Min Tank Size
220 gallons
Lifespan
5-8 years
Origin
Australia - Western Australia (eastern Indian Ocean)
Diet
Carnivore - meaty foods like mysis, brine shrimp, amphipods; feeds mostly at night
Water Parameters
23.3-28.7°C
8.1-8.4
Need a heater for this species?
This species needs 23.3-28.7°C in a 220 gallon tank. Use our heater calculator to find the right wattage.
Calculate heater sizeCare Notes
- Give it a big system: minimum 220 US gallons with substantial rockwork forming ledges and caves; it spends days tucked under cover and emerges at night.
- Hold temperature at 23.3-28.7 C and pH at 8.1-8.4.
- Feed mostly after lights out with meaty foods like mysis, enriched brine shrimp, and amphipods; it naturally forages at night.
- Semi-aggressive: choose robust, non-bullying tankmates and avoid tiny fishes and ornamental crustaceans that can be hunted after dark.
- It may harass similar-shaped cardinals, so mix with close relatives only in very large tanks and monitor behavior.
- Provide shaded zones or subdued daytime lighting so it feels secure; it is reclusive in bright, open setups.
- Plan long term for a 12+ cm SL fish with a 5-8 year lifespan.
Compatibility
Good Tankmates
- Peaceful to moderately assertive tangs and rabbitfish that graze and ignore cave-dwellers (e.g., Zebrasoma tangs, foxface rabbitfish)
- Non-nippy angelfish and butterflyfish of similar or larger size that do not harass cave-hiding fish
- Squirrelfish and soldierfish of compatible size; share low-light habits without bothering each other in a large, rocky tank
- Peaceful clownfish that keep to an anemone or a small territory (e.g., ocellaris, percula), not overly aggressive types
- Sturdier, larger benthic fish that are not bite-size and mind their own space (e.g., lawnmower blenny, engineer goby)
- Non-crustacean clean-up crew and inverts that will be ignored (snails, urchins, large sea stars)
Avoid
- Small ornamental shrimp and tiny crabs that will be hunted at night (sexy shrimp, small Lysmata juveniles)
- Aggressive or predatory fish that may harass or eat it (triggers, large groupers, moray eels, lionfish)
- Very boisterous, territorial species that dominate caves and ledges (large damsels, aggressive dottybacks, maroon clownfish)
- Multiple Sailfin cardinalfish unless a confirmed pair in a very large system; conspecifics are likely to fight
The sailfin cardinalfish, Quinca mirifica, is a striking Australian species: jet-black body, crisp white tail, and a tall, sail-like second dorsal. It spends the day tucked under reef ledges and comes out at night to pick off small crustaceans. This is a medium, 12+ cm SL cardinalfish with a semi-aggressive streak and an intermediate care level.
Origin and natural habitat
Endemic to Western Australia in the eastern Indian Ocean, the sailfin cardinalfish shelters beneath reef ledges and in shaded cavities during daylight. At night it leaves cover to hunt small crustaceans in the water column and just off the substrate.
Aquarium setup and water conditions
House this species in a very large marine system with extensive rockwork that creates deep shade and overhangs. Bright, open layouts leave it hiding constantly; a scape with ledges and dim retreats lets it settle and show natural behavior. A minimum of 220 US gallons gives it room to cruise after lights-out and reduces conflicts with tankmates.
- Temperature: 23.3-28.7 C
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Maximum size: 12+ cm SL
- Lifespan: 5-8 years (with steady, high-quality marine conditions)
Build multiple shaded ledges and caves. Use a lighting schedule with a long dusk period so the fish can transition to feeding.
Diet and feeding
A nocturnal carnivore, this fish targets small crustaceans. In aquaria it accepts meaty fare, but timing matters. Offer food during low light or shortly after lights go out. New arrivals often respond best to movement and scent.
- Mysis shrimp (frozen or live)
- Enriched adult brine shrimp
- Live amphipods
- Similar small meaty items of appropriate size
Start with live or freshly thawed foods at dusk to trigger a feeding response, then shift to your routine evening feedings once it is established.
Behaviour and tankmates
Semi-aggressive by cardinalfish standards, Quinca mirifica stays tucked under cover by day and becomes bold at night. Choose tankmates that are too large to be viewed as prey and confident enough to coexist with a nocturnal cruiser. Very small, delicate fishes are not good companions.
This species naturally feeds on small crustaceans and may prey on tiny ornamental shrimps and similar invertebrates.
Males mouthbrood eggs. During courtship, males can flash a bright silver color before returning to their characteristic black-and-white pattern.
Common problems and how to avoid them
- Not eating: Many individuals ignore food in full light. Feed at dusk or after lights-out with mysis, amphipods, or enriched brine to get them started.
- Constant hiding: Tanks without deep shade and overhangs keep this fish out of sight. Provide real ledges and dim refuges.
- Aggression and pacing: Housing in undersized tanks often brings out pushy behavior. The 220-gallon minimum helps diffuse tension.
- Losses among small crustaceans: Its natural diet includes tiny crustaceans, so avoid keeping bite-sized ornamental shrimp.
Similar Species
Other marine semi-aggressive species you might be interested in.
Blackspotted snake eel
Quassiremus ascensionis
A tropical marine snake eel that buries in soft substrates (sand/mud/gravel) with only the head exposed to ambush prey. Recorded to 71 cm TL and occurs mainly in the western Atlantic (also Brazil) and at Ascension Island; typically found in shallow inshore habitats to ~12 m, including sand and seagrass (turtle grass) areas.
Blue blanquillo
Malacanthus latovittatus
A long, slim tilefish with a bold black side stripe and a blue head that fades down the body. It hovers high above the reef and darts back to a sand-rubble burrow, often living as a monogamous pair; in tanks it is fast, jump-prone, and will eat small crustaceans and tiny fish.
Blue Green Chromis (Green Chromis)
Chromis viridis
Blue Green Chromis are those shimmery little green-blue darts you'll see zipping around the top of a reef tank, always looking like they're catching the light just right. They're super fun in a group because they hover and cruise together, but they've got a bit of a "pecking order" thing going on if the tank's tight or the group's too small.
Blueline demoiselle
Chrysiptera caeruleolineata
A little reef damsel with a bright electric-blue line riding over a yellow body, it tends to live deeper on rubble slopes and hugs the bottom in small groups. In aquariums it prefers dimmer light, plenty of rock cover, and frequent small feedings of planktony foods; males guard eggs stuck to the substrate.
Bluespotted angelfish
Chaetodontoplus caeruleopunctatus
A medium Pomacanthid from the Philippines, it has a dusky body dusted with tiny electric-blue spots and a yellow tail. In the wild it browses sponges and tunicates on deeper reefs, so it thrives only in mature tanks with lots of live rock and frequent feedings.
Broadbarred firefish
Pterois antennata
This is the lionfish with the long "antennae" (those banded tentacles above the eyes) and the ragged, spotty fins that make it look extra dramatic under reef lighting. It'll spend the day tucked under ledges and then cruise out at dusk to ambush shrimp, crabs, and any small fish it can fit in its mouth-also worth remembering it's venomous, so you treat it with respect when you're in the tank.
More to Explore
Discover more marine species.
Banggai Cardinalfish
Pterapogon kauderni
Banggai cardinals just sort of hover like little underwater satellites, and the bold black bars with those long, polka-dotted fins look unreal under reef lighting. They're super chill most of the time, but once a pair forms you'll see real "fish drama," and the male will even mouthbrood the babies like a champ.
Bicolored foxface
Siganus uspi
A Fiji native with a sharp two-tone look, the bicolored foxface is half deep brown and half yellow with a crisp line between. It spends the day grazing algae and can snap into a mottled camouflage when spooked; those tall dorsal spines are venomous, so other fish usually keep their distance.
Blackfin slatey
Diagramma melanacrum
A large sweetlips from Southeast Asian reefs with a pale silvery-yellow body sprinkled in dark spots and distinct black pelvic and anal fins. Juveniles linger in silty shallows, while adults rest in small groups on deeper reef walls by day and roam at night to pick off crabs, shrimp, and other invertebrates.
Blackspot razorfish
Iniistius dea
This is one of the coolest "knife-bodied" wrasses - it hangs over open sand and, when it gets spooked or wants to sleep, it literally torpedoes straight into the sand. Give it a deep, fine sand bed and it will act totally different (and way more natural) than a typical rock-hugging reef wrasse. Adults are usually shy and cruisy with tankmates, but they are not forgiving about rough handling or sketchy setups.
Blueband goby
Valenciennea strigata
This is that classic gold/yellow-headed sand-sifting goby with the little blue cheek stripe-always busy, always rearranging your sandbed. In a reef tank it'll spend the day taking mouthfuls of sand, filtering out tiny critters/foods, then "snowing" clean sand back out, and it'll usually claim a burrow area (often as a pair in the wild). It's super cool behavior-wise, but you really do need a mature tank with a proper sandbed and a lid because they can jump.
Bluespotted dottyback
Pseudochromis persicus
A striking dark-bodied dottyback covered in tiny blue spots from the Persian Gulf and nearby western Indian Ocean reefs. It grows larger than most dottybacks and throws a lot of attitude for its size, staking out caves and defending them hard. Best for roomy marine setups with robust tankmates and plenty of rockwork to break lines of sight.
Looking for other species?