Ctenochaetus tominiensis - Tomini Bristletooth

The Tomini Bristletooth Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus tominiensis) is an extremely popular and useful surgeonfish for saltwater aquariums, especially for medium-sized tanks. It impresses with its compact size, peaceful nature, and excellent ability to remove filamentous algae and microorganisms. This makes it not only an attractive eye-catcher but also an important helper for a stable, clean, and healthy aquarium.

🐟 Characteristics

• Size: Adult fish reach a length of about 13–15 cm – significantly smaller than many other surgeonfish.

• Coloration: Ctenochaetus tominiensis has an elegant brown-golden base coloration with fine spots and contrasting white to yellowish fin tips. Particularly striking are the prominent white tail and dorsal fin margins, which make it immediately recognizable.

• Behavior: The Tomini Bristletooth Surgeonfish is an active swimmer and spends most of the day grazing on rock structures, substrate, and reef columns for algae and detritus. Its peaceful behavior makes it an ideal inhabitant for community tanks.

🌊 Care & Maintenance

• Aquarium size: Recommended from 350 liters. Open swimming areas combined with reef structures and hiding places create optimal conditions. Naturally grown algal growth significantly facilitates acclimatization.

• Water parameters: Temperature: 24–27 °C | pH value: 8.0–8.4 | Density: 1.022–1.025

• Socialization: Ctenochaetus tominiensis is a very peaceful surgeonfish that can be well socialized with other non-aggressive species. Keeping them together with other surgeonfish is possible in large tanks but should be done with caution.

🍽️ Food

The Tomini Bristletooth Surgeonfish primarily feeds on microalgae and detritus, which it grazes with its fine bristle teeth. For additional nutrition, vegetable frozen and dried foods such as nori algae, spirulina, or flake food should be offered. Fine vegetables are also readily accepted.

🌟 Special features & advantages

Ctenochaetus tominiensis is an excellent choice for medium-sized aquariums where larger surgeonfish species would not fit due to its compact size. It actively contributes to algae control, supports the biological balance, and its peaceful nature makes it an ideal community fish. At the same time, it impresses with its elegant appearance and high robustness.

👉 Conclusion: The Tomini Bristletooth Surgeonfish is an active, peaceful, and extremely useful inhabitant for saltwater aquariums. With its compact size, effective algae control, and easy care, Ctenochaetus tominiensis is an excellent choice for aquarists who want to maintain a clean and healthy reef tank.