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Moorish Idol
Moorish idol

Moorish Idol

Zanclus cornutus

The Moorish Idol is one of the most recognizable reef fish in the world but is famously not a beginner fish — an obligate sponge/invert grazer that FishBase bluntly describes as 'rarely surviving in tanks.' Even professional aquarists note it needs individual feeding-conditioning; keep it only as a genuinely expert-only project with a real risk of starvation.

Temperament
Peaceful
Max size
9.1"
Min tank
125 gal
Reef-safe
Not reef safe
Diet
Omnivore
Zone
Bottom, Rockwork
Keep just one per tank — two will fight.
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Tankmates

How Moorish Idol gets on with the rest of the reef, checked pair by pair by the same engine as the live pre-flight.

Best kept apart

A real clash — aggression, predation or a same-genus fight.

Snowflake MoraySnowflake Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Moorish Idol.Zebra MorayZebra Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Moorish Idol.Chainlink MorayChainlink Moray has a big enough mouth to eat the much smaller Moorish Idol.Clown TriggerfishClown Triggerfish (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Moorish Idol and may harass it.Panther GrouperPanther Grouper (aggressive) is much larger than the peaceful Moorish Idol and may harass it.Blue-Leg Hermit CrabMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Blue-Leg Hermit Crab is on the menu.Trochus SnailMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Trochus Snail is on the menu.Astrea SnailMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Astrea Snail is on the menu.Cerith SnailMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Cerith Snail is on the menu.Nassarius SnailMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nassarius Snail is on the menu.Nerite SnailMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Nerite Snail is on the menu.Mexican Turbo SnailMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Mexican Turbo Snail is on the menu.Bumble Bee SnailMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Bumble Bee Snail is on the menu.Scarlet Reef Hermit CrabMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab is on the menu.Zebra Hermit CrabMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Zebra Hermit Crab is on the menu.Halloween Hermit CrabMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Halloween Hermit Crab is on the menu.Emerald CrabMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Emerald Crab is on the menu.Sally Lightfoot CrabMoorish Idol hunts small cleanup-crew inverts — your Sally Lightfoot Crab is on the menu.Skunk Cleaner ShrimpMoorish Idol hunts ornamental shrimp — your Skunk Cleaner Shrimp is on the menu.Fire ShrimpMoorish Idol hunts ornamental shrimp — your Fire Shrimp is on the menu.