Saltwater
Leaf scorpionfish
Taenianotus triacanthus
Scorpaenidae, Scorpaeninae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 10 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 38 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Suggest it in the app.
Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
Native
Lives wild in American Samoa, Australia, China, Christmas Island, Cook Islands, Ecuador, Fiji, France, and 29 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Inhabits reef flats, outer reef slopes, current-swept channels, and rarely on lagoon reefs. Benthic. Solitary and usually immobile among algae or seagrass but effects hip movements resembling that of a leaf falling down from a tree. Molts twice a month with the skin breaking off first in the head region. Has the habit of mimicking a dead leaf by swaying from side to side. Feeds on small crustaceans and fishes; also feeds on larvae. Venomous spines.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Taenianothus triacanthus
- Taenianotus citrinellus
- Taeniatus triacanthus
- Taenionotus triacanthus
In other languages
- Blad-dragehovedfisk
- Leaf fish, Leaffish, Paper fish, Paper scorpionfish, Paperfish, Sailfin leaf fish, Sailfin leaffish, Scorpionfish, Swayfish, Three-spined scorpionfish, Threespine scorpionfish
Articles
All articles
Fish that get along4 min read
Temperament, fin nippers, fish that eat other fish, and fish that need the same water. And what the Harmony mark in the app means.
Fin rot and columnaris4 min read
Bacteria that attack the fins, mouth and skin, nearly always after poor water. When water changes are enough, and when more is needed.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.