Orangespotted Filefish, Harlequin Filefish - Oxymonacanthus longirostris

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You are here: Home » Fish » Filefish » Orangespotted Filefish

Orangespotted Filefish

Scientific Name

Oxymonacanthus longirostris

Reef Compatible

With Caution

Care Level

Expert-only

Disposition

Peaceful

Min. Tank Size

24 gallons

Mature Size

5 inches

Diet

Carnivore

Range

Indo-Pacific

Size Class

view chart

Curator's Note

This is an expert-only species due, in large part, to its dietary needs. While the Orangespotted Filefish Starter Pack increases the chances of success with this fish, this animal should not be considered by anyone not fully prepared to meet its dietary needs. For more information on this species, please see this article.

Other Common Names

Harlequin Filefish, Longnose filefish, Beaked Leatherjacket

Description

This beautiful fish is all too frequently purchased based on its looks alone without any thought as to its long-term husbandry. An obligatory corallivore in the wild, the orangespotted filefish is a highly selective feeder that only identifies live coral as appropriate foodstuff. It has now been proven that the orangespotted filefish can survive and thrive on a captive diet not inlude live coral flesh, but weaning a wild-caught fish onto that captive diet can test the patience of even the most dedicated advanced aquarist. This is why Blue Zoo Aquatics offers the Orangespotted Filefish Starter Pack, which includes one orangespotted filefish and one live, browned-out Acropora frag. It also includes a screening call from the husbandry staff at Blue Zoo to the potential buyer in order to insure that the aquarist is prepared to maximize the chances of successfully keeping this amazing marine aquarium fish. Anyone considering this fish should be sure to read Matt Pedersen's article "A New Future for the Harlequin Filefish" in the March / April 2009 issue of CORAL Magazine.

Diet

The orangespot filefish can be weaned onto a captive diet consisting of frozen foods for omnivores, frozen enriched adult brine shrimp, frozen Mysis shrimp, flake and pellet food. Keep in mind what Matt Pedersen wrote in his groundbreaking article on orangespotted filefish in the March / April issue of CORAL Magazine: "Live coral is your insurance policy and safety net.... You must continue to offer live coral until the fish no longer needs it." Be sure to read his article for a full description of weaning this fish onto a captive diet.