Humpback Turretfish

(Tetrosomus gibbosus)

Tetrosomus Turretfish are slow swimmers and should be added to large well established aquariums with plenty of room to swim with low water flow. Plenty of rock work, caves, cracks and crevices with ample supply of macro and micro algaes should be provided for constant grazing and hiding. Humpback Turretfish should also be provided a sandy bottom may blow sand looking for small invertebrates to consume. They may release toxins if threatenedd, picked on or not healthy they should be removed immediately. Activated carbon will remove the toxins. A diet of meaty and algae based foods should be provided. Avoid floating foods as they may accidently ingest air causing buoyancy issues. Turretfish may consume sponge, mollusc's, worms and crustaceans. House with other peaceful tank mates. Humpback Turretfish are hermaphrodites meaning they are born as females and at some point in their life may turn into a male. Male and female Humpback Turretfish exhibit slightly color differences. When first acclimating to the aquarium Turretfish may be slightlyly light sensitive and may not readily accept prepared foods. Offering live foods such as enriched adult Brine Shrimp or Black Worms to entice them to eat.

Humpback Turretfish is also sometimes known as the Gibbous Leatherjacket or Hunchback Leatherjacket. They are occasionally seen in the aquarium trade, but they are not very common. The Humpback Turretfish has a boxy body with a pronounced hump on its back. They are predominantly brown in color with small white spots covering their body. They have the ability to puff themselves up with water or air to make themselves appear larger. They can grow up to 8 inches in length.

We recommend a minimum aquarium size of 75 gallons or larger for this species.

Water conditions: Salinity 1.020 - 1.025, Temp (F) 72 - 78, pH 8.1 - 8.4, Alkalinity 8 - 12 dKH

  • Care: CareDifficultDifficult CareModerateModerate
  • Behavior: BehaviorSocialSocial
  • Diet: DietFrozen FoodFrozen Food DietLive FoodLive Food
  • Habitat: HabitatPlantedPlanted
  • Light: LightHighHigh