False moorish idol.
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Outside of its coloring... this fish looks nothing like a Moorish Idol. But I imagine like most fish in a tank... they dont really shoal.
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Having seen em both in person, I dont think they really look very similar, but thats JMHO.
They are hardy fish, but there are actually two different species, Heniochus diphreutes (generally reef safe) and Heniochus acuminatus (not reef safe). The two are VERY difficult to tell apart. The biggest indicator is where the middle black band ends in relation to the anal fin, but this is hard to see on a moving fish.
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I asked once if an LFS could get the reef safe version and was told that most wholesalers dont offer the option (or distinguish) between the two.
Just be careful if putting them in a reef. There are 2 species that appear very similar, but one is reef safe, the other is not.
Heniochus diphruetes is reef safe. Heniochus accuminatus is not - and it's a bit tricky to tell the difference. See page 204 of Scott Michael's Pocket Expert Guide to Marine Fishes, as well as page 206. The accuminatus has black along the very bottom of its white body stripe (it's very subtle), but the diphruetes does not.
Both get pretty large too - so if you're contemplating a group of them, you'll need a large tank. Minimum aquarium size for a reef-safe one (gets to over 7") is 100g but I'd suggest larger. The reef safe one is commonly called, "Schooling Bannerfish".
Don't rely on your dealer to properly identify them either - I've ordered the reef safe ones, and received the not-safe ones - identifying them along the chain of custody can be iffy at times.
Nice fish though, and a suitable alternative to the Moorish Idol that's easier to keep. Yes, they are quite different from the real thing, but there are enough similarities to satisfy most folks
Jenn
Edit: Barry - you're scaring me - we must have both been typing at the same time
Heniochus diphruetes is reef safe. Heniochus accuminatus is not - and it's a bit tricky to tell the difference. See page 204 of Scott Michael's Pocket Expert Guide to Marine Fishes, as well as page 206. The accuminatus has black along the very bottom of its white body stripe (it's very subtle), but the diphruetes does not.
Both get pretty large too - so if you're contemplating a group of them, you'll need a large tank. Minimum aquarium size for a reef-safe one (gets to over 7") is 100g but I'd suggest larger. The reef safe one is commonly called, "Schooling Bannerfish".
Don't rely on your dealer to properly identify them either - I've ordered the reef safe ones, and received the not-safe ones - identifying them along the chain of custody can be iffy at times.
Nice fish though, and a suitable alternative to the Moorish Idol that's easier to keep. Yes, they are quite different from the real thing, but there are enough similarities to satisfy most folks
Jenn
Edit: Barry - you're scaring me - we must have both been typing at the same time
I'm convinced that this is the case because a) it's too much trouble to differentiate and b) they don't want angry customers if they get it wrong (which goes back to how close they are).
Edit:
JennM;694260 wrote: Edit: Barry - you're scaring me - we must have both been typing at the same time
Well, great minds and all that.
:::Insert Twilight Zone Theme Here:::
I just think a lot of folks don't know how to differentiate the two.
Years ago Tom Wyatt (tdwyatt) faxed me a page from Fishbase.org that showed the differences. I still keep the paper in my copy of Marine Fishes on the front counter
Jenn
I just think a lot of folks don't know how to differentiate the two.
Years ago Tom Wyatt (tdwyatt) faxed me a page from Fishbase.org that showed the differences. I still keep the paper in my copy of Marine Fishes on the front counter
Jenn
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Dont we all...
Steve Weast had a ton of these in his massive (and massively awesome tank... see
I used to have a school of 6 Mono argentis in our 1000g back in the day. They were about saucer-sized but had been in captivity for over 10 years, and were bought by their original keeper when they were small (half-dollar sized or maybe a bit smaller). These fish can sometimes be found in freshwater, but acclimate to salt as well.
They were true schooling fish - occasionally they'd go their separate ways but most of the time they stayed in a group and it was fascinating to see them all turn in a the same direction at the same time. Never could figure out who the "leader" was. With any school of fish, particularly large schools in the ocean, I always wonder which fish makes the decision for the group, and how that's communicated to the others, since they can seem to move as one large organism.
Jenn
They were true schooling fish - occasionally they'd go their separate ways but most of the time they stayed in a group and it was fascinating to see them all turn in a the same direction at the same time. Never could figure out who the "leader" was. With any school of fish, particularly large schools in the ocean, I always wonder which fish makes the decision for the group, and how that's communicated to the others, since they can seem to move as one large organism.
Jenn
