Aulostomus maculatus
| Latin name | Aulostomus maculatus |
|---|---|
| Local name | Trumpetfish |
| Family | Aulostomidae - Aulostomus |
| Origin | West Indian Ocean, The Mexican Golf, West Atlantic |
| Max length | 100 cm (39.4") |
| Minimum volume |
1800 l (475 gal) 
|
|---|---|
| Hardiness |
Average
|
| Suitable for aquarium |
Suitable for special aquariums
|
| Reef safe |
Reef safe with caution
|
| Aggressiveness | Mostly peaceful but might be aggressive towards similar species |
| Recommended |
Fish Larger crustaceans (Shrimp, crabs...) Other invertebrates Small crustaceans (Krill, mysis, artemia...) |
|---|
This species is known to jump out of open aquaria.
This spicies might be a threat to smaller fishes.
This species poses a threat towards shrimps and crabs etc., which are relatively small.
This species needs a very large aquarium when fully grown.
Exactly how big the aquarium should be is hard to say, but the size of this species is such, that it cannot normally be kept in a home aquarium.
These fish flourish better without other members of the same species in the aquarium.
There is a greater chance of success with this species if one can supply a living feed to allow it to adapt to the tank.
This species often has a fun and interesting personality.
This species needs good hiding places, for example, between live rocks.
This species revels in swimming and requires an aquarium with ample space.
This species can be very shy when first introduced into a new aquarium.
More aggressive fish can be introduced after this species has acclimatized.
Trumpetfish (Aulostomidae) are very amusing fish for the aquarium, but they do require a very large swimming area of 1000+ liters without pillars or similar obstructions, whilst still having places to hide.
Trumpetfish are predatory fish, that will mostly go after small fish, but crustaceans are also part of their diet.
Trumpetfish have a fun personality, and will become attached to the aquarist over time.
They must have live food to begin with, small guppies for example, and can then slowly be introduced to small pieces of frozen fish and crustaceans.
One should avoid having larger predatory fish and aggressive Damsels and Wrasses as well as Triggerfish and Pufferfish when keeping Trumpetfish.
Small ones can be kept together, but they do not often get along when becoming larger.
Scott W. Michael. 2001. Reef Fishes volume 1 - TFH Publications / Microcosm Ltd. - (English)
2009. Reef Central - (English)