Aulostomus maculatus

Valenciennes, 1837

Atlantic Trumpetfish

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Southern Florida, Bermuda, northern Gulf of Mexico, and northern South America.

Size: 40 inches (100 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits fairly shallow bays, lagoons and seaward reefs at depths between 3 - 80 feet (1 - 25 m) and is often found among gorgonians where it feeds mainly on small fishes and shrimp.

General Husbandry: Rarely seen in the trade and able to somewhat change color to those its interested in getting close enough to eat! Yet mostly brown to reddish brown, yet able to be blue-grey, bright yellow, or shades between.

Best maintained in large aquariums with sufficient open areas, yet areas where it can hide behind as its usually quite shy, especially when first introduced into the aquarium. Even though quite docile and peaceful, tankmates should be large enough so as not to be eaten.

Requires a meaty diet such as enriched chopped fish or shrimp flesh, mysis, frozen brine shrimp, and/or frozen carnivore foods with one or two feedings per day.

May be difficult to feed in the early days in the aquarium and if so, live foods, e.g., live enriched brine shrimp, grass shrimp, baby mollies and/or guppies should be offered. Over time, it will learn to accept frozen foods like mysis, krill and brine shrimp more readily when offered to others in the aquarium.

Taxonomy:

Order: Gasterosteiformes

Suborder: Syngnathoidei

Family: Aulostomidae

Genus: Aulostomus

FYI: One per aquarium.

Aquarium should be covered, as this species will jump out of an uncovered aquarium.

Will eat ornamental shrimp.

Tankmates should not include fast moving fishes that would pester this species, e.g., triggerfish or large damselfish.

This is a slow moving fish that can easily get sucked into an open intake siphon; therefore these type intakes must have a strainer on their intake areas.

Usually swims with snout down.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Fish Safe: With caution

Invertebrate Safe: With caution

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Reef or fish only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful

Minimum Tank Size: 200 gallons

Temperature Range: 70 - 80°F (21 – 27°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 - 1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5