TankBud

Aiptasia eating filefish

Acreichthys tomentosus

Also known as Bristletail Filefish, Matted Filefish, Matted Leatherjacket, Tomentosus Filefish

SaltwaterFish

Aiptasia eating filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
Haplochromis · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
5.5 in
14 cm
Minimum tank
30 gal
114 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Monacanthidae
Origin
Indo-West Pacific reefs, from East Africa and Sri Lanka to Indonesia, New Caledonia, and Fiji, north to southern Japan

Overview

The Aiptasia eating filefish is a peaceful saltwater fish, popular for its appetite for pest aiptasia anemones. It suits a reef keeper with some experience.

Did you know

Some hatcheries raise captive-bred Aiptasia eating filefish on a diet of actual aiptasia from birth. Such a fish arrives at the store with a proven taste for the pest anemone. A wild-caught fish is a gamble that may never take an interest in eating it.

Caring for the Aiptasia eating filefish

Give an Aiptasia eating filefish a tank of at least 30 gal (114 L), with live rock and some open swimming room. It settles in better with cover nearby to duck into if it feels exposed.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C), with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed it a varied diet of mysis, brine shrimp and other meaty foods. Keep feeding it even after it has cleared a tank's aiptasia, since a hungry fish shifts its nipping toward corals.

It is peaceful and often shy at first. It is a solitary fish that generally leaves other fish alone, apart from its own kind. Not every individual eats pest aiptasia anemones, so the habit is not guaranteed.

It is reef safe only with caution. Some fish nip at soft coral polyps, stony coral tissue or clam mantles, especially once the aiptasia runs out.

Males carry a patch of fine, bristle-like hairs near the base of the tail, which gives the species its bristletail name. Females lack the patch. Breeding it is moderately difficult.

Good to know

The Aiptasia eating filefish belongs to the filefish family, Monacanthidae. Filefish are named for the fine, sandpaper-like texture of their scales, rather than a smooth, slimy coat like most fish. Like other filefish, it carries a single, lockable spine on its back. It can raise the spine and wedge it into a crevice so a predator cannot pull it out. It is also sold as the matted filefish, the matted leatherjacket or the tomentosus filefish.

In the wild

Aiptasia eating filefish live across the Indo-West Pacific, from East Africa and Sri Lanka to Indonesia, New Caledonia and Fiji. Their range reaches north to southern Japan. They keep to shallow reef margins, rubble and seagrass beds, where their mottled brown and green pattern blends in well.

Common questions

What size tank does an Aiptasia eating filefish need?

An Aiptasia eating filefish needs at least 30 gal (114 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does an Aiptasia eating filefish need?

An Aiptasia eating filefish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does an Aiptasia eating filefish eat?

An Aiptasia eating filefish takes a varied diet of mysis, brine shrimp and other meaty foods. Keep feeding it after the aiptasia is gone, since hunger shifts its nipping toward corals.

How big does an Aiptasia eating filefish get?

An adult Aiptasia eating filefish reaches about 5.5 in (14 cm).

How can you tell a male Aiptasia eating filefish from a female?

Males have a patch of fine, bristle-like hairs near the base of the tail. Females lack it, so the patch tells the sexes apart.

Related species