Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Great Barrier Reef and New Caledonia.
Size: 2 inches (6 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabits caves in shallow lagoon reefs where it often swims upside down and is usually found at depths between 6 to 65 feet (2 – 20 m) where it feeds on zooplankton.
General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade and is entirely dark blue.
Can be maintained in reef or fish-only aquariums having many rocky hiding places/crevices to investigate or take shelter when needing to do so, as this species is shy and somewhat secretive. May continue to mostly hide if the aquarium contains moderately aggressive fishes, and if so, will not get its share of the foods when feeding time occurs. Must have peaceful tankmates.
As to diet, products such as enriched marine fish and crustacean flesh, clams, and other marine meaty foods/freeze-dried foods should be finely chopped and fed twice daily. Adult enriched live brine shrimp will also be accepted.
Taxonomy:
Order: Perciformes
Suborder: Percoidei
Family: Plesiopidae
Genus: Assessor
FYI: May be maintained in small groups.
An excellent reef aquarium fish!
Experience Level: Beginner
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore
Coral Safe: Yes
Fish Safe: Yes
Invertebrate Safe: Yes
Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+
Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish-only aquarium
Tankmates: Peaceful
Minimum Tank Size: 20+ gallons
Temperature Range: 72 - 81°F (22 – 27°C)
Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026
pH: 8.0 - 8.5