Vermiculated Angelfish Care Guide
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus is a small Indo-West Pacific angelfish with a vermiculated pattern, reaching about 18 cm.
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).