Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus

Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus, commonly known as the Vermiculated angelfish, is one of the smaller and more common Chaetodontoplus angelfish. They might look a little like a butterflyfish and are perhaps not as flashy coloured as most other Chaetodontoplus, but are also much more affordable. They start out as very dark, almost black fish with a yellow vertical band behind the eye, a stripe on the nose and a broad yellow rim on the anal and dorsal fin as well as a vertical bar in the caudal fin. As adults they've a yellow face with a black vertical band over the eye. Just behind that band the body is creamish-white which fades into dark with very small white spots here and there arranged in lines. The caudal fin and a patch just behind the head is yellow and the fins have a light blue thin rim.

Like all other angelfish it's hermaphroditic and the most dominant fish will turn into a male when there is no other male around. These fish are quite peaceful but be careful combining them with fish a lot smaller or larger and other (dwarf)angelfishes. In nature, sponges and tunicates are an important part of their diet. Wild specimens acclimated easiest in a tank with a lot of sponges and live food. Tank bred specimens are familiar with dry food and are much easier to wean on frozen and dry food. These fish aren't considered reef safe and you need to be especially careful with ornamental sponges, LPS, tube worms and clams. Keeping them well fed seems to reduce the risk so make sure to feed them a proper varied diet of algae and meaty foods to make them really happy!