Apolemichthys xanthurus Care Guide
Apolemichthys xanthurus is a cream-coloured Indian Ocean marine angelfish with a yellow tail, considered one of the hardier angelfishes in captivity.
Overview
Apolemichthys xanthurus, the Indian yellowtail angelfish, has a cream-coloured body marked by a network of dark lines on the scales that form a lattice pattern, with a bright yellow caudal fin and black dorsal and anal fins edged in white. It was described as Holacanthus xanthurus by Bennett in 1833, with a type locality in Sri Lanka, and the name xanthurus means "yellow tail". It reaches about 15 cm in length.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacanthidae
- Genus: Apolemichthys
- Scientific name: Apolemichthys xanthurus
- Original description: Holacanthus xanthurus Bennett, 1833
Habitat
The species occurs in the western Indian Ocean. FishBase gives a range from Mauritius to India and Sri Lanka, while Wikipedia lists records across the Indian Ocean including the Mascarenes, Maldives, Sri Lanka, eastern India, Myanmar and Thailand. It is reef-associated, living in coral-rich areas and rocky reefs; FishBase records depths of about 5-25 m and Wikipedia 5-85 m. It is usually solitary or found in pairs.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 400 L
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- GH/dKH: 8-12
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Water type: marine, reef setup with live rock
Diet
According to Wikipedia, A. xanthurus feeds on a variety of crustaceans, sponges and algae; FishBase reports a trophic level of about 2.7. A captive diet should be varied and include sponge- and algae-based angelfish foods to meet its grazing requirements.
Compatibility
The species is typically solitary or seen in pairs in the wild. Wikipedia notes that among marine angelfishes it is one of the hardiest and easiest to maintain in captivity. As with related Apolemichthys species, it grazes sponges and other sessile invertebrates and is therefore not fully reef-safe.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2009).