Latin name | Aluterus monoceros |
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Local name | Unicorn leatherjacket filefish |
Family | Monacanthidae - Aluterus |
Origin | East Indian Ocean, West Indian Ocean, Australia, Japan, The Red Sea, The Mexican Golf, West Atlantic, Indonesia, Mediterranean Sea, East Pacific, New Zealand, Central/West Pacific |
Max length | 76 cm (29.9") |
Minimum volume | 10000 l (2639 gal) |
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Hardiness | Unknown |
Suitable for aquarium | Not suitable for home aquarium |
Reef safe | Not reef safe |
Aggressiveness | Unknown |
Mostly |
Detritus Larger crustaceans (Shrimp, crabs...) Macroalgea (Eg. seaweed / nori) Microalgea (Eg. spirulina) Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...) Soft coral |
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There is little available knowledge of this species, so there can be important information missing on this page.
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.
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)
Minimum volume
"Minimum volume" indicates the size of the tank needed to house this species under optimal conditions.
This is based on a medium size animal, which you want to keep for several years.
It might be possible to keep smaller specimens for a limited period in a smaller tank. A larger tank might be needed for fully-grown specimens.
Hardiness
"Hardiness" indicates how resistant this species is to disease and how well i tolerates bad conditions in general.
Some species doesn't handle transportation very well, but that doesn't mean that the species isn't hardy under the right conditions.
Suitable for aquarium
In this case, a "normal" aquarium is a reef aquarium with mixed corals or a fish only aquarium with an approximately salinity of 1.026 (sg) and a temperature close to 26°C.
Species requiring more than a 4000-liter tank are considered not suitable for home aquarium.
Special aquariums may cover tanks with low salinity, sub-tropical temperature, deep sand bed, sea grass etc.
Reef safe
Always reef safe: No sources indicate that this species will harm corals or other invertebrates.
Often reef safe: Only a few aquarists has reported problems keeping this species with corals and other invertebrates.
Reef safe with caution: This species may be a threat to some types of invertebrates.
Reef safe with luck: Most specimens will harm corals and/or other invertebrates, but you might be lucky.
Not reef safe: This species is a threat to most corals and/or other invertebrates.