TankBud

Sebae mono

Monodactylus sebae

Also known as African moony, Sebae moony, Striped fingerfish

BrackishSaltwaterFish

Sebae mono (Monodactylus sebae)
Ltshears · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
7.2–8.5
Adult size
7.9 in
20 cm
Minimum tank
159 gal
600 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Schooling
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Difficult
Breeding
Hard
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Not reef safe
Family
Monodactylidae
Origin
Coastal West Africa: estuaries and mangrove lagoons from the Canary Islands to Angola

Overview

The Sebae mono is a tall, mostly peaceful schooling fish for a very large brackish or marine tank. It is best left to experienced keepers.

Did you know

The Sebae mono's dramatic tall shape is why hobbyists sometimes buy a single juvenile as a novelty, unaware of what the adult will need. A grown school of adults, with high, banded silver bodies, is one of the more striking sights in the brackish hobby.

Caring for the Sebae mono

Keep Sebae monos in a group of at least five or six. A proper shoal keeps these nervous fish calm, while singles and pairs hide, lose color and squabble.

A group of these tall, active fish needs a big tank of at least 159 gal (600 L). Their diamond shape calls for real height as well as a long footprint. Give them strong filtration and plenty of open swimming room, since they cruise the middle and upper water column.

Hold the water hard and alkaline, at 75 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and a pH of 7.2 to 8.5. Sebae monos are euryhaline, and like the silver mono, they need more salt as they age. Juveniles tolerate low brackish water, but adults do best in high brackish to marine conditions. Step the salinity up slowly as they mature, and plan for a system that can reach marine salinity.

Feed a varied omnivore diet of meaty frozen foods with a solid share of greens. Sebae monos are mostly peaceful, but bigger fish get bossy and harass small or slow tank mates. Keep them with hardy brackish species such as scats, silver scats and archers. They are pelagic spawners in the wild and are not bred in aquaria.

Good to know

The Sebae mono is a taller-bodied cousin of the silver mono in the family Monodactylidae. It is more disc-like and is often measured by height rather than length, since it can stand nearly as tall as it is long. Bold vertical bars run through the eye and body. The fish in the trade are wild-collected as juveniles, and they are also sold as the African moony, Sebae moony or striped fingerfish.

In the wild

Sebae monos come from the estuaries, lagoons and mangrove-lined coasts of West Africa, from the Canary Islands down to Angola. They live in tidal water that swings from nearly fresh to fully marine.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

The Sebae mono is a mostly peaceful, schooling species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

What size tank does a Sebae mono need?

A Sebae mono needs at least 159 gal (600 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Sebae mono need?

A Sebae mono is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 7.2–8.5.

What does a Sebae mono eat?

A Sebae mono is an omnivore that eats meaty frozen foods. Give it a varied diet with a solid share of greens as well.

How big does a Sebae mono get?

An adult Sebae mono reaches about 7.9 in (20 cm).

Does a Sebae mono need a group?

Yes. A Sebae mono is a schooling species and should be kept in a group, not singly.

How does a Sebae mono breed?

Sebae monos are pelagic spawners in the wild. They are not bred in aquaria.

Related species