TankBud

Leaf scorpionfish

Taenianotus triacanthus

Also known as Leaf fish, Paper fish, Paperfish, Sailfin leaf fish

SaltwaterFish

Leaf scorpionfish (Taenianotus triacanthus)
Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.0–8.4
Adult size
5.1 in
13 cm
Minimum tank
29 gal
110 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Bottom
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Scorpaenidae
Origin
Native to the Indo-Pacific, living on coral reefs and rubble where it sways among growth to mimic a drifting leaf.

Overview

This is a delicate specialist for an experienced keeper, best in its own small tank of around 110 litres with gentle flow and rock perches, at 22 to 26 C and pH 8.0 to 8.4. It ignores corals but eats small fish and shrimp, so keep no bite-sized tankmates. The hard part is feeding: it usually demands live saltwater shrimp or small feeder fish and is slowly trained to take thawed food wobbled past it on a stick. It will not compete for food, so it must never share a tank with fast eaters.

In the wild

The leaf scorpionfish is a tiny, flattened ambush predator with a tall sail-like dorsal fin, shaped and coloured to look exactly like a dead leaf or piece of algae. It comes in white, yellow, pink, red, green or brown and rocks gently back and forth to complete the drifting-leaf illusion. It stays put on a perch and waits for prey to wander close.

Good to know

Taenianotus triacanthus reaches only about 13 cm and, unusually among scorpionfish, sheds its outer skin like a snake every couple of weeks to stay free of algae and parasites. Its dorsal spines carry a mild venom used for defence. It sways in place to mimic vegetation moving in the surge, which both hides it and lures curious prey.

Did you know

The leaf scorpionfish sheds its whole outer skin every one to two weeks, peeling it off like a sock to shed the algae and parasites that would otherwise give away its leaf disguise.

Common questions

What size tank does a Leaf scorpionfish need?

A Leaf scorpionfish needs at least 29 gal (110 L). It spends most of its time in the bottom.

What temperature and pH does a Leaf scorpionfish need?

A Leaf scorpionfish is comfortable at 72–79°F (22–26°C) with a pH of 8.0–8.4.

How big does a Leaf scorpionfish get?

An adult Leaf scorpionfish reaches about 5.1 in (13 cm).

Related species