Banggai Cardinalfish Colouring

Meet this friendly Banggai cardinalfish, a graceful little reef swimmer with a tall oval body, three bold upright bands, elegant pointed fins, a deeply forked tail and a playful pattern of round spots. Real Banggai cardinalfish often have silvery bodies with dark bands and bright white spots, so begin with pale grey, pearl or very light blue across the large body sections. Colour the three bands black, charcoal or deep navy, leaving a narrow white space beside each one if you want extra contrast. Keep some spots white and turn others silver, pale yellow or icy blue. Follow the long shape of the dorsal and lower fins with strokes that travel from the body toward each pointed tip. A gentle blend from dark blue at the base to lavender or turquoise at the tip can make the fins look light and flowing. Colour the small side fin pale blue or gold, and give the forked tail matching bands and spots. Leave the tiny eye highlight white so the fish looks bright and alert. Around the fish, use several greens for the sea grass, coral pink or orange for the branching coral, yellow for the tube sponge, and warm beige for the sand. The rocks can be tan, grey or soft purple, while the bubbles can be pale blue. Use slow strokes inside the narrow fin shapes and turn the page when needed to follow the curves. This cheerful picture is excellent practice for stripes, spots and smooth colour blending while imagining a calm swim above a sunny tropical lagoon.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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Grown-up note: Please supervise printing and choose age-appropriate art materials.