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The Blackheaded Filefish is also known as the Redtail Filefish. The body is orange to red in color and the head can be gray to black. Filefish from Hawaii tend to have more vivid colors than those from the Indian Ocean.

It is a shy fish, and rarely aggressive towards other fish except for those of its own genus. It is best suited for aquariums 30 gallons or larger that do not contain invertebrates.

The Blackheaded Filefish may be difficult to feed initially; it may be beneficial to imbed shrimp into coral, and allow the fish to feed off of the coral. The diet should include shaved shrimp, squid, scallop, mysid shrimp, freeze-dried krill soaked in a vitamin supplement, and frozen marine algae. The Blackheaded Filefish should be fed no fewer than three times a day.