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By Bob Goemans
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Anomalops

Anomalops katoptron

(Bleeker, 1856)

Twofin Flashlight Fish, Great Flashlight Fish, Splitfin Flashlight

Not Reef Tank Suitable

Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Indonesia, Philippines, and north to Southern Japan and south to the Great Barrier Reef.

Size: 11 inches (27 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits caves in steep drop-off areas

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade, having a mostly dark brown body with black fins edged in white and a photophore located just below each eye.

Best maintained in dimly lit aquariums with several caves/hiding are and few tankmates, as they are quite shy. Often frightened by the movements of other very active fishes, or even that of traffic outside the aquarium.

May be difficult to get feeding, and if so, live foods, e.g., live enriched brine shrimp, grass shrimp, black worms (Lumbriculus variegatus), baby mollies and/or guppies should be offered. Over time, frozen foods like mysis, krill and brine shrimp may be more readily accepted and be fed once or twice a day.

Taxonomy:

    Order: Beryciformes

    Suborder: Trachichthyoidei

    Family: Anomalopidae

    Genus: Anomalops

FYI: Best maintained in small groups.

Must have several caves/hiding areas.

Squrrelfishes, soldierfishes, and cardinalfishes make good tankmates.

Flashlight fish should always be introduced first into the aquarium.

 Anomalops katoptron (Twofin Flashlight Fish, Great Flashlight Fish, Splitfin Flashlight )
Photo © John Randall
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