Moorish idol

Care at a glance

The Moorish idol, with its black, white and yellow bands and long dorsal filament, is one of the best-known reef fish in the world, partly thanks to its role in animated films. In the aquarium, however, it is notorious: in the wild it eats mainly sponges and encrusting growth, and many individuals refuse offered food for months.

Even experienced keepers lose it regularly, despite a large, long-established reef tank. If you do want to try, pick a fish you can see eating eagerly in the shop, and provide plenty of grown-in rock, sponge-based foods and several small feedings a day.

Good to know

• Needs a mature, stable tank
• Hard to wean onto dry food
• Outgrows most home tanks

Related species

• BannerfishHeniochus diphreutes
• Cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatus
• Blackcap bassletGramma melacara
• Pyramid butterflyfishHemitaurichthys polylepis
• Blue assessor bassletAssessor macneilli
• Raccoon butterflyfishChaetodon lunula