Striped Mono | Psettus sebae

Perches / Monodactylidae / Striped Mono

Profile: Striped Mono, Striped Fingerfish, African Angelfish, Seba Mono
Psettus sebae Synonyms: Monodactylus sebae
Physical description: A tall, disc-shaped fish with lateral compression. The head is small, as is the mouth. The eyes are large and have a black band running through them. The dorsal and anal fins are almost opposite one other and the edge of the tail is almost straight. The body is silver to white in color while the fins are body colored. The front edge of the anal and dorsal fins is black. This species has a black line running across the gill cover connecting with the black of the anal fin. The back edge of the anal and dorsal fins is also black.
Size/Length: To 8" (20 cm)
Similar species: Monodactylus species.
Habitat: In estuaries of Zaire and Senegal rivers on the coast of West Africa.
S: all
Aquarium: 36" (90 cm) or 35 gallons (132 L). Follow suggestions for M. argenteus .
Water chemistry: pH 7-8.5 (7.7), 12-30 dH (16), 75-82°F (24-28°C). A 3% addition of salt is required. Add 23 TSP. of salt to every 10 gallons of water (30 g/10 L).
Social behavior: As for M. argenteus.
Suggested companions: As for M. argenteus.
FOOD: Live; small fish, small crabs, shrimp, worms, insect larvae; pellets; peas; lettuce; spinach; flakes; plant debris.
Sexual differences: Too hard to distinguish
Breeding techniques: Spawning immediately follows a simple courtship where the male circles the female. About 4, 000 eggs are laid. These hatch in 24-60 hours. Start feeding with newly hatched Brine Shrimp and other small live foods.
Breeding potential: 10. Spawning has been accomplished only a few times to date, and few details pertaining to water composition are available.
Remarks: This saltwater species may occasionally visit freshwater habitats and should not be considered a freshwater species.
Difficulty of care: 8. This species requires brackish or salt water and a regime of frequent partial water changes.