All fish / Monodactylidae

Sebae Mono

Monodactylus sebae

Also known as african moony, sebae moony, african mono, fingerfish, sebae fingerfish, african monodactylus, seba mono, モノダクティルス・セバエ, 塞巴银鲳, 非洲银鲳, 高身金鲳

A very tall, laterally compressed silver fish with long dorsal and anal fins that make it taller than it is long, marked with dark vertical bars through the eye and body. It is kept for its striking outline and active schooling behaviour in large brackish aquariums.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

15 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

7.5 to 8.5

Smallest tank

400 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more

Diet

Omnivore: quality pellets and flakes, frozen mysis, brine shrimp, bloodworm and some vegetable matter

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

8 to 10 years

Water

Brackish

Wild range

West Africa, coastal estuaries and mangroves from Senegal to Angola

Breeding

An egg scatterer that spawns in the sea or estuaries, with larvae developing in saline water. Captive breeding in home aquariums is very rare and essentially unreported.

Good to know

Although sold as a freshwater fish, it needs brackish water as a juvenile and does best in near marine conditions as an adult; long-term freshwater keeping shortens its life. Adults grow tall and need a spacious tank, and singles or pairs can become quarrelsome.