Soapfish (Suttonia Suttoni)

Sometimes this fish is out of stock, check with us before ordering: reefexclusive@gmail.com

Species Name: Suttonia Suttoni

Care Level : Moderate

Temperament : Semi-aggressive

Color : Red, White

Diet : Carnivore

Reef Compatible : With caution

Water Conditions : sg 1.020-1.025, 72-78° F, dKH 8-12, pH 8.1-8.4

Max. Size : 3"

Toxicity : Has a poison harmful to health 

Origin : Western Indian Ocean

Family : Serranidae

Minimum Tank Size : 75 gallons

Suttonia Suttoni commonly referred to as Soapfish. A very attractive and only rarely available species.

These fish are slender, bright red in color all over the body, and with a white stripe on the forehead. When threatened they can release a toxin through the skin which comes out in a frothy lather, hence the name soapfish.

A aquarium size of at least 75 gallons is recommended. The tank should be arranged in the form of a small cave and many crevices so that you can hide, they prefer a dimly lit habitat.  

They are an ambush predator, sitting on the sand bed and keeping an eye out for anything they can swallow whole, in a similar way to a Lionfish. However, due to their very small size they are only really a danger to very small fish (small Gobies etc), or, small shrimps (Anemone shrimps, Sexy shrimps, etc). They are fine with larger shrimps, and medium to large fish. This species is safe with coral but will eat small and medium sized shrimps.

This fish needs time to focus on prey before it eats it. It is recommended to feed at least twice a day with suitable frozen food. Will eat frozen and meat products such as brine shrimp, mysis shrimp and more. They can also eat very small fish.