Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus (Vermiculated Angelfish): Breeding Guide

Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus is a western Indo-Pacific protogynous angelfish living in small groups. As a pelagic spawner it is not bred in home aquariums.

Overview

Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus is a Pomacanthidae angelfish of the western Indo-Pacific, from southern Japan through Indonesia and New Guinea south to northern Australia. Wikipedia gives a maximum length of 18 cm and a depth range of 1 to 30 m, favouring silty inner coastal reefs and lagoons. Its diet comprises sponges, tunicates and filamentous algae.

Sexing

Wikipedia describes the species as a protogynous hermaphrodite, with all individuals female initially and the dominant ones changing to males. Functional sex therefore depends on social rank rather than fixed external markings.

Spawning Behavior & Trigger

Wikipedia reports it is normally encountered in small groups and hides among coral when disturbed. Like other pomacanthids it is a pelagic spawner, releasing gametes into open water; detailed spawning observations for this species are not published.

Common Challenges

The pelagic eggs and planktonic larvae demand hatchery plankton culture, and maintaining a functional protogynous group needs ample space. No captive breeding is documented, and trade stock is wild-caught.