The Pinecone Fish

A fish that Glows: The Pinecone Fish

The Pinecone fish (Monocentris japonica) is also commonly called the Pineapple fish, and its appearance makes it easy to see where it earns these names. Its spines and patterns cause it to look armored with a glow as they house bioluminescent bacteria in their scales. They grow to a maximum of 7 inches with 4.5-6 is much more common. Its distribution includes both the tropical and sub-tropical, Indo-Pacific. These are reclusive and are more active at night. To encourage daytime activity, utilize a more subdued lighting scheme. You can also enrich them and promote more curiosity by feeding live brine shrimp to juveniles, or gut-loaded ghost shrimp to adults before attempting to wean them onto frozen foods.