Blackheaded Filefish

About this fish

Blackheaded Filefish is a marine filefish for established saltwater aquariums, valued for its distinctive face and active foraging behavior. In a tank, it’s often used as a mid-to-lower level grazer that searches through live rock and surfaces for food, making it a good choice when you already have stable conditions and can provide an appropriate, varied diet.

Features:

• Marine filefish that forages actively across live rock and tank surfaces
• Often benefits from an aquascape with plenty of rockwork for grazing and hiding
• Best kept in an established aquarium with stable water quality and regular maintenance
• Diet usually needs to be varied, combining grazing-appropriate foods with protein-rich items
• Generally not recommended for tanks with fragile, highly targetable invertebrates, as filefish may pick at small animals
• Responds well to calm tankmates and consistent feeding schedules to reduce competition

Specifications:

• Care level: Intermediate (best for hobbyists who maintain stable marine conditions)
• Tank type: Marine (saltwater) aquarium
• Diet: Typically needs a mix of algae/grazing foods and meaty protein options
• Water temperature: About 24–26 °C (75–79 °F)
• Salinity: About 1.020–1.025 specific gravity
• pH: About 8.1–8.4