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Vermiculated Angelfish
Chaetodontoplus mesoleucus (Bloch, 1787)
A Vermiculated Angelfish at a depth of 14m, Redang Island, Malaysia, 15 April 2001. View larger image.
A Vermiculated Angelfish at a depth of 15m, Redang Island, Malaysia, 16 April 2001. View larger image.
The Vermiculated Angelfish's body is white behind the eye, gradually changing to dark grey posteriorly. The snout is yellow and a broad black band passes through the eye. The caudal fin is grey-blue or yellow.
This species grows to 18cm in length.
Vermiculated Angelfish inhabit inner coral reefs and lagoons. This fish is often seen in pairs or as solitary individuals.
It is found in depths from 1m to 20m.
The Vermiculated Angelfish feeds on sponges, sea squirts, salps and algae.
It occurs in tropical marine waters of the Western Pacific, from South-east Asia, north to Japan, south to Australia and east to the Solomon Islands.
In Australia it is known from the Kimberley region on the northern coast of Western Australia and along the Northern Territory coast.
View a map of the collecting localities of specimens in the Australian Museum Fish Collection.
Further reading
- Allen, G.R. 1997. Marine Fishes of Tropical Australia and South-east Asia. Western Australian Museum. Pp. 220.
- Allen, G.R., Steene, R. & M. Allen. 1998. A Guide to Angelfishes & Butterflyfishes. Odyssey Publishing/Tropical Reef Research. Pp. 250.
- Myers, R.F. 1999. Micronesian Reef Fishes. Coral Graphics. Pp. 330.
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2006
Page researched and compiled by
K. Parkinson & M. McGrouther, September 2003.
