Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish

Family:

Pomacanthidae

Scientific Name:

Genicanthus melanospilos (Bleeker, 1857).

Other Common Names:

Swallowtail, Blackspot, Blackspot Lyretail, and Spotbreast Angelfish, and Zebra (Male) Angelfish.

Identification:

This is one of a few Angelfishes that can easily be identified by sex as male or female, because of their differences in appearance. The male is marked with rather thin, dark vertical bands the length of the body from the head to where the dorsal and anal fins end, followed by a yellow banded area at the base of the tail.

Distribution:

Western Indo-Pacific, Australia.

Average Size:

Medium category species that grows to 7 inches.

Habitat:

Should be provided with lots of swimming space.

Minimum Tank Size Suggested:

100 gallons.

Characteristics and Compatibility:

A very active Angelfish that is constantly on the move, and therefore requires plenty of room to swim around. Often a difficult shipper, but if a healthy specimen is obtained, it settles into aquarium life rather quickly. Males will fight with same as well as other Genicanthus genus males, especially ones similar in coloration. Can be kept singly, as a pair, or a small group of females can be housed with one male in larger aquariums. Not an overly aggressive, but may chase after small, peaceful planktivores. Typically gets along with other fish species, which includes most all other Angels.

Diet and Feeding:

An omnivore, and planktivore that naturally browses on diatom and filamentous algae. This is a fish that constantly grazes and searches for food. If an ample growth of algae is not present in the aquarium to browse on, this fish should be fed a steady and varied diet of the usual Angelfish fares, especially containing Spirulina.

Reef Compatible: Yes. One of a few Angelfish species that poses no threat to soft or stony corals and other sessile invertebrates.

Guide Care Rating:

• 2 Stars - For a healthy specimen that has adapted to aquarium life and is already eating well.
  
• 3 Stars - For a specimen that is stressed and not yet adapted.

Personal Notes From Your Guides

Dateline 11/04/07: Everything we have read says the Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish is invertebrate safe, so we got a female as a starter fish for our new, work-in-progress 92 gallon reef tank. However, we saw her nip at a 3 inch T. Crocea Clam today. This may have been due to the aquarium being algae free at this stage, and with nothing to pick at it, 1) was just checking things out; 2) might have just been going after something drifting by or that had landed on the clam's mantle.

The first two fish in our tank, the Angel and a Yellow Tang, we had been feeding them 2 times a day, but somewhat sparingly as not to pollute the system, which had recently finished cycling. We have slightly increased the amount of foods being offered per feeding (all water parameters are fine since) to see if this will help satisfy this fish's rather voracious appetite, and are keeping a close watch on its behavior around the clam.

Dateline 12/30/07: The Angelfish has showed no further signs of interest in the clam, nor any of the corals we have put in the aquarium to date.

~ Debbie & Stan Hauter