Acreichthys tomentosus

Download Reef App on Google Play or App Store
Get it on Google Play Get it on App Store
Facts
Latin name Acreichthys tomentosus - (Linnaeus, 1758)
Local name Bristle-tail file-fish
Family Monacanthidae - Acreichthys
Origin East Indian Ocean, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Central/West Pacific
Max length 14 cm (5.5")
As aquarium fish
Minimum volume 300 l (79 gal)
Hardiness Average
Suitable for aquarium Suitable with care
Reef safe Reef safe with caution
Aggressiveness Might be aggressive towards similar species
Feed
Recommended Macroalgea (Eg. seaweed / nori)
Microalgea (Eg. spirulina)
Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...)
Maybee Large polyp stone coral (LPS)
Other invertebrates
Soft coral
Beware of
Eats tubeworms

This species likes to eat tubeworms.

Keep in mind
Frequent feeding

This fish requires feeding several times a day, especially when newly added.

When the fish can find its natural food in the aquarium it requires less frequent feeding. 

Hiding places

This species needs good hiding places, for example, between live rocks.

Docile

This species is very shy and docile, so one should be careful when keeping it with more aggressive fish.

Eats glass anemones (Aiptasia)

This species eats glass anemones (Aiptasia).

But occasionally one finds an individual fish which refuses to eat them.

Descriptions and further reading
Family description (Monacanthidae)

Filefish (Monacanthidae) have a very characteristic appearance, but whether one likes them or not is a matter of taste. 

Some species are suitable for aquaria, although they will occasionally eat a coral or invertebrate. They are therefore not so well suited to coral tanks.
They are often used to fight glass anemones (Aiptasia) and Majano anemones. Pervagor nigrolineatus is especially good at this.

They need peace and quiet from both the aquarist and other fish, when adjusting to the tank life.

Be careful when catching them, as they easily becomes caught in the net.

FishBase
Aquarium trade Yes
Distribution Indo-West Pacific: East Africa to Fiji, north to the Ryukyu Islands, south to New South Wales (Australia). Recently recorded from Tonga (Ref. 53797).
English common names Seagrass filefish
Bristle-tailed leatherjacket
Bristle-tail file-fish
References and further reading

About references

Dave Wolfenden. 2013. Filefish: A bit of rough! - Practical Fishkeeping - (English)
Scott W. Michael. Can You Add Filefish to a Reef Tank? - Fish Channel - (English)
Bob Fenner. Filefishes, Family Monacanthidae, Part I, Part II, Part III - Wet Web Media - (English)
Scott W. Michael. Those Fabulous Filefish - Tropical Fish Hobbyist Magazine - (English)