Black Velvet Angelfish Care Guide
Chaetodontoplus melanosoma is an Indo-West Pacific angelfish with a dark body and yellow tail, reaching about 20 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Chaetodontoplus melanosoma, the black-velvet angelfish, is a marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae described by Bleeker in 1853. It has an overall black or brown body with an ochre face, yellowish-orange spots across the forehead, and yellow margins on the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacanthidae
- Genus: Chaetodontoplus
- Scientific name: Chaetodontoplus melanosoma
Habitat
The species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific, including the Indo-Malayan region, New Guinea, and north to southern Japan. It inhabits coastal reefs and drop-offs at depths of about 5 to 30 metres, often in areas with strong tidal currents; juveniles favor deep rubble slopes with rich invertebrate growth.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 600 L (159 gal)
- Temperature: 24-26 °C (75-79 °F)
- pH: 8.1-8.4
- Carbonate hardness (dKH): 8-12
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
FishBase reports a temperature range of about 25.5-29.3 °C for the species.
Diet
The black-velvet angelfish is an omnivore. In the wild it feeds on sponges and tunicates. In the aquarium a varied diet is offered around twice daily.
Compatibility
This is a semi-aggressive, diurnal, mid-water angelfish that is solitary or found in pairs in the wild. It is reef-keepable only with caution and may nip soft corals. Other angels are best avoided; robust tankmates such as tangs, wrasses, and triggerfish suit it better.
Breeding
The species is hermaphroditic and rarely breeds in aquaria. It is an egg-layer, and captive breeding is considered expert-level.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2009).
Chaetodontoplus melanosoma (Black-velvet Angelfish): Breeding Guide
Overview
Chaetodontoplus melanosoma is a Pomacanthidae angelfish of the western Pacific, occurring around central Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Wikipedia gives a maximum length of 20 cm and a depth of about 5 to 30 m on outer rocky or coastal reefs, often where strong currents or cool upwellings occur. It eats tunicates and sponges.
Sexing
Wikipedia describes the species as hermaphroditic. As in other pomacanthids functional sex is socially determined, and no reliable external sexual dimorphism is documented for routine identification.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Wikipedia notes the species may be observed in pairs or alone. Like other marine angelfish it is a pelagic spawner, with a pair releasing gametes into open water; detailed spawning observations for this species are not published.
Common Challenges
Wikipedia states these fish rarely breed in aquaria. The pelagic eggs and planktonic larvae require hatchery plankton culture, so reproduction is not achievable in home aquariums and trade stock is wild-caught.