Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis

Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis, commonly known as the Bluestriped angelfish, is a medium-sized angelfish. This fish is quite easy to recognize although it's known to pair in nature with C. melanosoma often resulting in a lot of less recognizable hybrids as well. Besides the hybrids, it's also variable in wide of the stripes and the pattern is almost like a fingerprint, making every fish unique. As juveniles these fish are very dark brown, almost black with a vertical yellow band like the first band of an anemonefish, a yellow stripe on the head and around the end of the dorsal and anal fin. The front half of the caudal fin is yellow, the rest transparent. As they get older the entire caudal fin becomes yellow and the yellow rims on fins disappear. The body becomes a yellowish-tan, sometimes even greenish, with electric blue horizonal lines converging all at the base of the caudal fin. Some of these lines are broken making each fish recognizable. An amazing fish for the real angelfish enthusiastic which is quite uncommon in the hobby!

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!