Acreichthys tomentosus (Bristle tail file fish) ??s

Guygettnby · 05/07/2009, 07:44 PM

like title states i have some questions about Acreichthys tomentosus or better known as Bristle tail file fish. i collected this fish while i was in florida and it has been a great fish so far. very interactive and hasnt bothered anything so far. i have heard they will eat some small inverts, but here is were my questions are.

Will this fish really eat aiptasia?

How big do they get?

What kind of inverts and corals would i really have to look out for if i decide to put him in my reef tank?

thats about all i have to ask. so any help would be great. also thanks in advance for any help given on this fish.

Guy

jrobison · 05/07/2009, 08:00 PM

I ordered two pairs of them from the diver's den last week. In one tank I only had a few apistasia and they have all disappeared. The only corals I have in that tank are kenya trees and I haven't noticed them eating any of them, though I wouldn't care if they did. The other pair is in a customer's tank with softies and some lps and I haven't seen them since I put them in there but will tomorrow, this tank is full of apistasia which is why I put them in there. I will let you know if they have picked on anything else.

JHemdal · 05/08/2009, 07:49 AM

Hi,

There is a lot of mis-identifications when it comes to Acreichthys tomentosus. I was sold two that looked a bit different than what I thought they should, and they never ate a single Aiptasia, even in the absence of other food. My conclusion was that they were a different species.

If you caught your fish in Florida, then you don't have that species either, because they are not found there. Most likely you have Stephanolepis hispidus, or a related species. Will they eat Aiptasia as well though? I can't say - but don't be too surprised if they don't, and none of the Atlantic filefish are truly reef-safe (excepting maybe M. tuckeri).

Jay

Freed · 05/08/2009, 07:54 AM

I thought they were only found near/in the sargassum sea? I know I'm probably thinking of something else but it seems to ring a bell

Guygettnby · 05/08/2009, 08:58 AM

JHemdal, these are not from the atlantic ocean BTW, they are from the gulf of mexico. from all of the searching that i have done that is the correct species from that are. i guess i need to search abit further into it and get a true ID of this fish. i could also go and get a couple of aiptasia from somebody and see if he eats them.

*Edit*

you were correct on that subject. although they look completely different from the pictures i have seen so far. i will try to take a good picture of them when i get a chance. is there a way to ID them from a PIC?

JHemdal · 05/08/2009, 09:05 AM

No, the true A. tomentosus is from the Indo-Pacific. The Monacanthus / Stephanolepis filefish from the Western Atlantic / Gulf are generalist feerss, and go for a wide variety of sessile invertebrates, which might include Aiptasia, but also would include soft corals, algae, shrimps, etc.

Jay

Guygettnby · 05/08/2009, 09:12 AM

i have noticed him hovering around a few of the hermits i collected from the gulf aswell. i guess i will leave this guy in the frag tank until i figure out exactly what species he is and what he will end up eating.

dflad · 05/08/2009, 12:44 PM

I have purchased several from Diver's den as ID'd as Acreichthys tomentosus and all of them have eaten aiptasia. Sometimes the "pairs" that DD sells are not pairs, but the fish themselves are always healthy and eating aiptasia immediately.

Freed · 05/08/2009, 01:01 PM

I'm under the impression that they eat mejanos as well. Anyone have any luck with them eating those? That's the original reason I started checking into them last year.

Guygettnby · 05/08/2009, 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Freed
I'm under the impression that they eat mejanos as well. Anyone have any luck with them eating those? That's the original reason I started checking into them last year.

the one i have right now does eat mojanos for sure as i have seen him doing it. i still need to test the aiptasia area though. should have some results from that by monday.

Freed · 05/08/2009, 03:02 PM

Can you post a few pics?

Guygettnby · 05/08/2009, 05:15 PM

yep, sure can. give me alittle bit to try and take some fairly decent pictures for you. it is in a tank with a 20k halide so they all usualy come out very blue.

Guygettnby · 05/08/2009, 05:27 PM

here are some pictures for ya. the best i go do for right now.

Guygettnby · 05/08/2009, 05:28 PM

AuroraDrvr · 05/08/2009, 09:36 PM

Looks like a Monacanthus tuckeri

05/07/2009, 07:44 PM	#1
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050	Acreichthys tomentosus (Bristle tail file fish) ??s like title states i have some questions about Acreichthys tomentosus or better known as Bristle tail file fish. i collected this fish while i was in florida and it has been a great fish so far. very interactive and hasnt bothered anything so far. i have heard they will eat some small inverts, but here is were my questions are. Will this fish really eat aiptasia? How big do they get? What kind of inverts and corals would i really have to look out for if i decide to put him in my reef tank? thats about all i have to ask. so any help would be great. also thanks in advance for any help given on this fish. Guy

05/08/2009, 07:54 AM	#4
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	I thought they were only found near/in the sargassum sea? I know I'm probably thinking of something else but it seems to ring a bell __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

05/08/2009, 08:58 AM	#5
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050	JHemdal, these are not from the atlantic ocean BTW, they are from the gulf of mexico. from all of the searching that i have done that is the correct species from that are. i guess i need to search abit further into it and get a true ID of this fish. i could also go and get a couple of aiptasia from somebody and see if he eats them. Edit you were correct on that subject. although they look completely different from the pictures i have seen so far. i will try to take a good picture of them when i get a chance. is there a way to ID them from a PIC? Last edited by Guygettnby; 05/08/2009 at 09:09 AM.

05/08/2009, 01:01 PM	#9
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	I'm under the impression that they eat mejanos as well. Anyone have any luck with them eating those? That's the original reason I started checking into them last year. __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

05/08/2009, 03:02 PM	#11
Freed It's what it's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: 41° 2' 45" N 85° 8' 43" W Posts: 7,579	Can you post a few pics? __________________ Freed Current Tank Info: 180gal(1120 watts of MH/VHO light), 60gal "sump", Deltec 601 calcium reactor, Euro Reef CS8-3+ skimmer, 20 gallon QT

05/07/2009, 08:00 PM	#2
jrobison Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Muscle Shoals, Alabama Posts: 512	I ordered two pairs of them from the diver's den last week. In one tank I only had a few apistasia and they have all disappeared. The only corals I have in that tank are kenya trees and I haven't noticed them eating any of them, though I wouldn't care if they did. The other pair is in a customer's tank with softies and some lps and I haven't seen them since I put them in there but will tomorrow, this tank is full of apistasia which is why I put them in there. I will let you know if they have picked on anything else.

05/08/2009, 07:49 AM	#3
JHemdal Moved On Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,971	Hi, There is a lot of mis-identifications when it comes to Acreichthys tomentosus. I was sold two that looked a bit different than what I thought they should, and they never ate a single Aiptasia, even in the absence of other food. My conclusion was that they were a different species. If you caught your fish in Florida, then you don't have that species either, because they are not found there. Most likely you have Stephanolepis hispidus, or a related species. Will they eat Aiptasia as well though? I can't say - but don't be too surprised if they don't, and none of the Atlantic filefish are truly reef-safe (excepting maybe M. tuckeri). Jay

05/08/2009, 09:05 AM	#6
JHemdal Moved On Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,971	No, the true A. tomentosus is from the Indo-Pacific. The Monacanthus / Stephanolepis filefish from the Western Atlantic / Gulf are generalist feerss, and go for a wide variety of sessile invertebrates, which might include Aiptasia, but also would include soft corals, algae, shrimps, etc. Jay

05/08/2009, 09:12 AM	#7
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050	i have noticed him hovering around a few of the hermits i collected from the gulf aswell. i guess i will leave this guy in the frag tank until i figure out exactly what species he is and what he will end up eating.

05/08/2009, 12:44 PM	#8
dflad Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Moss Beach, Ca 94038 Posts: 794	I have purchased several from Diver's den as ID'd as Acreichthys tomentosus and all of them have eaten aiptasia. Sometimes the "pairs" that DD sells are not pairs, but the fish themselves are always healthy and eating aiptasia immediately.

05/08/2009, 05:15 PM	#12
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050	yep, sure can. give me alittle bit to try and take some fairly decent pictures for you. it is in a tank with a 20k halide so they all usualy come out very blue.

05/08/2009, 05:27 PM	#13
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050	here are some pictures for ya. the best i go do for right now.

05/08/2009, 05:28 PM	#14
Guygettnby Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: FL Posts: 3,050

05/08/2009, 09:36 PM	#15
AuroraDrvr Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Eastern Shore, AL Posts: 1,655	Looks like a Monacanthus tuckeri __________________ -Todd