TankBud

Radial filefish

Acreichthys radiatus

Also known as Radial Leatherjacket, Monacanthus radiatus

SaltwaterFish

Radial filefish (Acreichthys radiatus)
Georgina Jones · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–79°F
22–26°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
3 in
7.6 cm
Minimum tank
20 gal
76 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Carnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
Medium
Rarity
Rare
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Monacanthidae
Origin
Western Pacific, southern Japan to Indonesia and New Guinea

Overview

The radial filefish is a small, slow-moving filefish for a peaceful saltwater tank. It is a step up from the easiest fish.

Did you know

Radial filefish sleep attached to their host coral. At night one bites gently onto a polyp and hangs there like a drifting leaf, usually without harming the colony.

Caring for the radial filefish

Give a radial filefish a tank of at least 20 gal (76 L), with gentle flow and plenty of cover. It keeps to the middle of the tank.

Keep the water at 72 to 79°F (22 to 26°C) and a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. Feed small meaty foods a few times a day.

The radial filefish is peaceful and does fine alone or in a group, but choose its tank mates with care. Some individuals pick at Aiptasia, though the fish is not a dependable cure. Pulsing Xenia and fleshy polyps may get nipped instead.

In the wild, soft coral polyps and tissue are a regular part of its diet. That makes it reef safe only with caution, so think twice before adding it to a tank full of prized corals. It is moderately hard to breed.

Good to know

The radial filefish belongs to the filefish family, Monacanthidae. It is a smaller close relative of the aiptasia-eating filefish, Acreichthys tomentosus. It is also known as the radial leatherjacket or Monacanthus radiatus.

In the wild

The radial filefish lives on western Pacific reefs from southern Japan down to Indonesia and New Guinea. It is almost always tucked among soft corals such as Xenia. Its radiating stripes and habit of drifting nose-down make it hard to pick out among the polyps.

Common questions

What size tank does a radial filefish need?

A radial filefish needs at least 20 gal (76 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a radial filefish need?

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

What does a radial filefish eat?

A radial filefish eats small meaty foods, offered a few times a day. It may also nip pulsing Xenia and fleshy polyps, and some individuals pick at Aiptasia.

How big does a radial filefish get?

An adult radial filefish reaches about 3 in (7.6 cm).

Related species