Pareques acuminatus

(Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

Highhat

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: North Carolina to Brazil.

Size: 9 inches (23 cm)

Natural Environment: Inhabits coral heads and other shallow protective structures during daytime at depths between 10 to 70 feet (3 – 20 m), and then moves in evening hours to feed in sea grass areas on shrimp, crabs, worms and various other benthic invertebrates.

General Husbandry: Occasionally seen in the trade with its white body having numerous thin horizontal black lines, and the white on its tall black dorsal fin, hence its common name, and pelvic fins fading as it grows into adulthood.

Requires a large fish-only aquarium with wide-open swimming areas and overhangs/caves to take shelter during daylight hours or when feeling threatened. As to diet, newcomers are sometimes shy and often difficult to get feeding, therefore require fortified live brine shrimp and/or live glass/grass shrimp to get feeding. Once accepting aquarium foods, a wide variety of frozen and fresh meaty foodstuffs (chopped squid, fish flesh, scallops, shrimp, clam, etc.) can be offered and fed several times daily. Any ornamental crustaceans in the aquarium will also be consumed.

Taxonomy:

Order: Perciformes

Suborder: Percoidei

Family: Sciaenidae

Genus: Pareques

FYI: May quarrel with others in the same genus.

Will eat fireworms.

Secretive and shy and require hiding areas.

Cannot compete with more aggressive species for food.

Experience Level: Intermediate

Temperament: Peaceful

Diet: Carnivore

Coral Safe: Yes

Invertebrate Safe: No

Fish Safe: Yes

Acclimation Time: 30 minutes+

Aquarium Environment: Fish-only aquarium

Tankmates: Peaceful or non-aggressive

Minimum Tank Size: 100 gallons

Temperature Range: 72 - 82°F (22 – 28°C)

Specific Gravity: 1.020 -1.026

pH: 8.0 - 8.5