Vermiculated Angelfish Care Guide
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus is a small Indo-West Pacific angelfish with a vermiculated pattern, reaching about 18 cm.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus, the vermiculated angelfish, is a marine angelfish of the family Pomacanthidae described by Bloch in 1787. It has blue lips, a yellow face crossed by a black band through the eye, and a pale rear body marked with yellow speckling, with a yellow caudal fin and blue-margined dorsal and anal fins.
Taxonomy
- Family: Pomacanthidae
- Genus: Chaetodontoplus
- Scientific name: Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus
Habitat
The species occurs in the Indo-West Pacific from southern Japan through Indonesia and west to Sri Lanka, east to Papua New Guinea, and south to northern Australia. It inhabits continental shelf reefs at depths of about 1 to 30 metres, favoring silty inner coastal reefs and lagoons with rich coral growth; it is not usually found around oceanic islands.
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 °C for the species.
Diet
The vermiculated angelfish is an omnivore. In the wild it consumes sponges, tunicates, and filamentous algae. In the aquarium a varied diet is offered around twice daily.
Compatibility
This is a semi-aggressive, diurnal, mid-water angelfish that occurs in small groups and hides among coral when alarmed. 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 a protogynous hermaphrodite. It is an egg-layer, and captive breeding is considered expert-level.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern (assessed 2009).
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus (Vermiculated Angelfish): Breeding Guide
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.