Blackheaded Filefish (Pervagor melanocephalus)

The Blackheaded Filefish or Pervagor melanocephalus is found in the wild in places like Fiji and Hawaii. Over the years they have become a quite popular aquarium fish due to its striking appearance and the strange file like appendage that comes straight out of its head! They have bright orangish red colors with their heads black or gray, hence the name. Also known as the Colored Filefish or Redtail Filefish, this is just one of the over 100 different species of Filefish!

This fish is considered to be rather shy towards most other fish. The only time it can be aggressive is when it is kept with those in its same genus. They can grow to about 4" in maximum length so an aquarium of at least 40 gallons is recommended. This salt water fish should be kept at temperatures of 72-78° F, sg 1.020-1.025, and a PH level of 8.1-8.4.
When you first purchase the Blackheaded Filefish it can be difficult to make him feed right away. A tip to consider is to embed shrimp into the coral in your tank. This way the Filefish can feed right off the coral. After they become acclimated with the tank they will eat squid, scallop, mysis shrimp, freeze-dried krill, and frozen marine algae. They are quite demanding and should be fed at least three times a day.