Moorish Idol (Zanclus canescens)
From The Aquarium Wiki
Moorish Idol
Moorish Idol
Zanclus canescens
473 Litres (125 US G.)
17.8-22.9cm (7-9 ")
8.1 - 8.4
25.6-26.7°C (78 -80 °F)
8-12 °d
1:1 M:F
1-5 years
Family
Zanclidae
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Contents
Additional names
- Moorish Idol, Gill (Finding Nemo)
Additional scientific names
- Chaetodon cornutus, Chaetodon canescens, Zanclus canescens, Zanclus cornutus
Origin
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Sexing
- Not easy to visually sex.
Tank compatibility
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Diet
- Notoriously hard to keep alive in captivity due it being an extremely fussy eater. Needs a matured marine tank with plenty of algae on live rock to graze on.
Feeding regime
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This section requires expansion with: Specific feeding instructions other then the standard Feeding Regime. |
Environment Specifics
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This section requires expansion with: Anything the species requires to be comfortable in the tank, such as caves or grasses. |
Behaviour
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Identification
- There are several other marine fish, specifically Butterflyfish, that look remarkable similar to the Moorish Idol, this includes the Heniochus acuminatus. The Idol is recognised by being disc-like and compressed in shape with small snout, much like the Zebrasoma flavescens. The mouth has a v-shaped yellow marking bordered by black on either side. It's body is coloured with two thick bold vertical black bars with a white/yellow base colour, the caudal fin is also black and edged with blue. All the fins on this fish are relatively small. Except for the dorsal fin, where 6 or 7 spines are elongated creating a crest, which gives the fish it's name, "Zanclus cornutus" means "crowned scythe".
Pictures
External links
- Fishbase (Mirrors:
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