Zebra Turkeyfish

1 Zebra Turkeyfish Overview

The Zebra Turkeyfish has a very distinctive appearance and a somewhat aggressive temperament; territorial males vigorously drive away other males from their domain. Because of its unusual distribution, it is not very common in home aquaria.

Chinese name: Zebra Turkeyfish

Common aliases: Short-fin lionfish

English name: Zebra turkeyfish

Distribution: Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, waters off Taiwan

Breeding: Egg-laying (oviparous)

2 Appearance

The Zebra Turkeyfish is somewhat aggressive and the males are highly territorial. As it belongs to the lionfish group, its fins and spines are venomous; being stung causes pain and fever, so great care is needed when handling it.

Adult Zebra Turkeyfish reach up to 25 cm in length. The antennal tentacle above the eye is longer than the eye diameter, there are dermal flaps above the eye, and the body bears 7–8 dark brown broad transverse bands. There are black spots on the preopercle and below the eye, and the longest dorsal spine of this species can exceed the body depth, while the pectoral fins show many dark stripes.

3 Habitat

When keeping the Zebra Turkeyfish in captivity, note that its fins and spines are venomous; being stung causes pain and fever, so safety must be observed when interacting with it.

The Zebra Turkeyfish is somewhat aggressive. Courtship and spawning occur at night, and males are highly territorial, driving away other males to defend their territory. Recommended water temperature is 24–27°C, pH 8.1–8.4, specific gravity 1.020–1.025. Minimum aquarium size is 250 liters. When first introduced to the tank, use live brine shrimp to induce feeding.

4 Feeding

The Zebra Turkeyfish is a carnivorous fish. Keeping it healthy requires not only an environment similar to the wild but also attention to food and feeding method.

In the aquarium the Zebra Turkeyfish will accept drifting fish and shrimp meat. When first introduced, live brine shrimp can be used to induce feeding. Once settled, it can be fed live shrimp, live fish, and occasionally a few fresh clams.