Can Anyone Tell Me What This Is??

[torbett]

My wife and I just got this fish here from a Japanese fish store, and we haven't a clue what it is. We have looked all over the place for his name, and can't find it...anyone have any idea what it is??

Thanks,
Mike[IMG][/IMG]

[Grins]

Looks like a filefish, not sure which kind. By the way, if I'm right it won't be a good addition to a reef tank.

[Terryz_]

Harlequin filefish... Bad record in captivity as it eats only sps polyps..

[torbett]

Thanks for the info

[jmaneyapanda]

Originally posted by Terryz_
Harlequin filefish... Bad record in captivity as it eats only sps polyps..

agreed. Also called an orange spotted filefish. Please research before you buy. Without a constant supply of SPS polyps to eats, this fish will die shortly.

[triggerfish1976]

Orange Spotted Filefish. Like everyone else has said, it is an obligate coralivore in the wild. Some have had limited success mashing mysis shrimp onto a dead coral skeleton and getting it to eat the shrimp by picking at the coral but this has only worked for a few months and the fish eventually die of malnutrition. It will decimate SPS polyps if placed in a reef tank.

[sunfishh]

Has anyone tried to add sps frags to a tank with these fish. Unlike years ago frags are farely common these days. I wonder if you added a frag a week if it would survive? Also don't tell the guys in the sps forum that we are using their offspring for food.

[Amyandlars]

Doesn't a frag a week get kinda of expensive $$$? It's not like other difficult fish (i.e. a mandrin) that you can just have a fuge that grows the food, and wait till tank materity.

[jmaneyapanda]

I'm pretty sure that Joe Yauillo at Atlantis MArine World has a pair in his 20,000 gallon full of SPS. Other than that type of setup, where the coral growth could outpace the consumption, leave these fish in the ocean.

[sunfishh]

Originally posted by Amyandlars
Doesn't a frag a week get kinda of expensive $$$? .

I guess it depends on if you really want to keep one of these fish or not.

[triggerfish1976]

I honestly think that they need more polyps per week than what a typical frag would provide. The ones that I have seen constantly pick at the coral all day long.

[sunfishh]

You might be right triggerfish. Of course if you do not give them atleast the one frag per week we all know they will die for sure. I am simply suggesting a plan that might work. Of course it might not. Food for thought.

[SDguy]

Not to mention, it doubt it'll take the frag long to wise up to the fact that if it shows polyps during the day, they'll get eaten.

[Hormigaquatica]

Here is some general information about the animal including, but not limited to, its dietary needs.
Oxymonacanthus longirostris

[sunfishh]

Thanks Hormigaquatica. That was good stuff

[Drew Reed]

Greg Hiller who is here on RC has one- http://www.greghiller.com/

[Greg Hiller]

FWIW, my fish is still going strong...still never eaten anything other than coral. Tried adding a mate for it a few months back, but the domiant fish chased it into a hole and it never came out. Must have been the same sex. I understand that Joe Y. has managed to get a mate for his, though I think he tried quite a few times. I think that with the types of success with SPS tanks that people are now having, there will be more and more people keeping this fish. FWIW, my pair of golden angels do a lot more damage to my Acros.

[NexDog]

It's an outstanding fish but it's small so shouldn't eat too much as Greg says. Energy has one in his huge 1700g stingray tank if memory serves me right.

[NexDog]

torbett, which shop did you get it from in Tokyo?

[mst3kguy07]

Yah that is a filefish!

[thor32766]

sweet filefish!