Scolopsis bilineata

(Bloch, 1793)

Twoline Monocle Bream

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Maldives, to Fiji, north to Southern Japan, and south to Lord Howe Island.

Size: 10 inches (25 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coral reefs and usually found at depths between 3 - 85 feet (1 - 25 m) where it feeds upon small fishes and benthic invertebrates.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade, and quite attractive with the juvenile having yellow and black lengthwise stripes on the upper body, cream colored belly and a black blotch on the front dorsal. Adults have cream colored body with grey on the upper front half with it edged in a lower white band that itself is edged in black and also some narrow yellow lines on the upper head and a yellow dorsal.

Best maintained in well-established fish-only or reef aquariums with wide-open swimming areas, a somewhat deep sand bed where it's mostly exposed, and preferably containing some rocky crevices for hiding when feeling threatened. Do not house with aggressive tankmates

As to diet, requires finely chopped meaty foods such as fish flesh, shrimp, clams, mysis, scallops, earthworms and/or frozen carnivore foods, and fed three times daily.

May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, live enriched adult brine shrimp or small glass/grass shrimp should be offered several times daily.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Percoidei

Family: Nemipteridae

Genus: Scolopsis

FYI: Will eat smaller fishes, snails, ornamental shrimp, fanworms/featherdusters, crabs and star fishes/brittle stars.

One per aquarium.

Requires a covered aquarium, as they are excellent jumpers.

Will sift the most upper edge of the sand in search of eatable prey.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful and too large to be eaten

Minimum Tank Size: 150 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 - 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.025

pH: 8.0 - 8.5