Pineapple fish – Cleidopus gloriamaris
Species name: Cleidopus gloriamaris
Common names: Pineapple fish, Knightfish
Family: Monocentridae (Pinecone fishes)
Order: Beryciformes (sawbellies)
Class: Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 8.6 in.
Minimum tank size: 55 gallon
Hardiness: Medium
Aggressiveness: Peaceful. May eat smaller fish.
Reef Compatibility:
Distribution: Indo-West Pacific: east, west and south coasts of Australia.
Diet: Carnivorous. It uses its light (see bellow) to attract small zooplankton and shrimp at night. They are difficult fish to feed in captivity and may only take live food.
Additional information:
This very unusual fish species is from the Indo-West Pacific region where it is found in caves, under ledges of rocky and occasionally on coral-reef at depth of 10 to 660 feet.
It got its name for its pineapple-like appearance. It has robust yellow coloured scales with black margins and, on the side of the lower jaw is a light organ that produces a greenish glow. Actually, what produces this strange light is a bioluminescent bacteria which inhabit the organs on the sides of the mouth. It is believed that the colour of the light organ changes from green to red as the fish matures. The Pineapplefish use this light to attract zooplankton and shrimp to feed on.
The ideal aquarium should have a temperature of 72 to 78ºF, a specific gravity of 1.020 to 1.025 and a pH between 8.1 and 8.4. It will spend most of the day in hiding from light, or swimming between caves so provite it plenty of rocks and hiding places. Medium light usually do best with this fish.
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Article written by www.aquariumslife.com
Reference: FishBase
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