Sargasum fish ( Histrio histrio )
SARGASSUM FISH (Histrio histrio) Linnaeus 1758
The
Sargassum fish grows up to 6" and likes to hang out on/in, well Sargassum macro algae, waiting for it's next meal.
The little "dance" they do as they sneak up on their prey is quite amusing. Watching them "walk"
is pretty cool and they need to be kept in a tank with fish that are longer than themselves, although longer yet thin fish
can be victims. Small fish will be invited over for dinner........
These fish like to sit in between rocks, branching artificial plants, and actual coral branches. Provide
a perch in the upper part of the tank since upper areas of the water are preferred and their usual habitat. A lid would
obviously be a good idea on your tank. (keeping the water level lower can help if that is an option) Keeping a
tang with your Sargassum fish may not be the best idea, since they have appendages that LOOK like macro algae, and that is
exactly what tangs love to eat.
Speaking
of eating, please resist the urge to feed your cool fish anything that is more than 1/2 their size. Why? They
are pigs and can't resist, so that large amount food may not digest completely, resulting in it rotting in their stomach.
The fermenting causes them to rise to the top of the tank and either they die or they spit out the rotting food and
joy of joys, guess who gets to clean up that stink pile? Only feed them 2ce a week. In the beginning, use live
fish and shrimp to get get feeding response started. Eventually, start to use a variety of fish and crustacean flesh
(store bought is fine) suspended on a feeding stick in front of them. Do NOT overfeed. Side point........ similar
to creatures that eat other animals whole, their poo is large enough to scoop out which can be helpful in keeping the water
clean.
They have been bred in captivity
and information on the web can be useful for further information.
Factoid: The Sargassum Fish has gill openings below their front "arms" that keep them motionless
and unseen by prey.
Temperature 72-82F PH: 8.0 to 8.3 Salt: 1.023-1.025 Minimum Tank size:
50 gallons Tank mates: Fish larger than itself and they do not tolerate ANY other frogfish. Reef safe: Yes, though they
may irritate corals if they walk on them
Item #Sargasum
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