Common Name: Barred / Two Banded Soapfish
Species Name: Diplioprion bifasciatum (Cuvier, 1828)
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean: Maldives and India to New Guinea, north to southern Japan, south to Lord Howe Islands
Size: Up to 10 inches (25 cm)
Natural Environment: Inhabit areas near caves and crevices in rocky and coral reefs from 10 to 300 feet deep (3 - 100 m)
General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 72 - 82°F (22 - 28°C) and their natural diet consists mainly of small fishes. Requires a meaty diet, i.e., enriched chopped fish or shrimp flesh, and two feedings per week. As with all soapfish, if stressed, it may release a toxic substance (grammistin) from the skin that could kill itself and all tankmates. Prevent any stressful conditions in the tank! Not aggressive, except to something that can be swallowed.
Aquarium Suitability: * * & * * * *
Anemonefishes - Angelfishes - Anthias - Assessors - Bannerfish - Basslets (Dottybacks and Grammas) - Batfishes - Blennies - Boxfishes - Brotulas - Butterflyfishes - Cardinalfishes - Catfishes - Cuttlefish - Damselfishes - Dartfishes - Dragonets - Drums - Eels - Filefishes - Flashlight fishes - Flatheads - Frogfishes - Goatfishes - Gobies - Groupers - Hamlets - Hawkfishes - Helmut Gurnards - Jacks - Jawfishes - Lion fishes - Livebearing Brotula - Lizardfishes - Mollies - Moorish Idol - Parrotfishes - Pinecone fishes - Pipefishes - Porcupine fishes - Pufferfishes - Rabbitfishes - Rays - Sand Perches - Scats - Scorpionfishes - Seabasses - Seahorses - Sea Moths - Sharks - Shrimpfishes - Snappers - Soldierfishes - Spinecheeks - Squirrelfishes - Surgeonfishes (Tangs) - Sweetlips - Tilefishes - Triggerfishes - Trumpetfishes - Wrasses
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* - Suited for the reef aquarium;
** - Better suited for the fish-only aquarium;
*** - Better left in nature;
**** - Needing an aquarium larger than 125 gallons; and,
***** - Needing their own private environment/special tankmates.