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Conspicuous Angelfish
Chaetodontoplus conspicillatus (Waite, 1900)
A Conspicuous Angelfish found floating dead in Lord Howe Island lagoon by G. Crombie, October 2000. View larger image.
The Conspicuous Angelfish can be recognised by its colouration. Adults are blue-grey dorsally grading to a dusky colour below. The face is yellow with blue on the operculum and around the eye. The dorsal and anal fins are dark at the base and pale along the outermost margins. The caudal and pectoral fins are yellow basally. Juveniles are black with a greenish-white dorsal fin.
This species has a large spine projecting horizontally from the corner of the preoperculum (glossary).
The Conspicuous Angelfish grows to 25cm in length and is a highly prized species in the aquarium trade.
It is found on coral and rocky reefs down to a depth of 40m. Juveniles live in shallower water in protected harbours and bays.
The Conspicuous Angelfish is recorded from the southern Great Barrier Reef to the central New South Wales coast and from New Caledonia, Norfolk and Lord Howe Islands.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & M. Allen. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. Pp. 250.
- Kuiter, R.H. 2000. Coastal Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Gary Allen. Pp. 437.
