Whitetail Pygmy Angelfish

[edit] Overview

Although not the most stunning of the small angel­­­­­fishes, this is a handsome little fish that endears itself to aquarists by its hardiness and its ability to thrive in smaller aquariums.

[edit] Feeding

Omnivore. Feed meaty and algae-enriched foods at least twice a day or less in a tank where lots of live algae is present.

[edit] Aquarium Compatibility

This is a shy species that flits from one hiding place to another. It picks at the substrate, grazing diatoms and detritus off the aquarium rockwork and sandy bottom. The sexes can be distinguished by color—males have short blue, horizontal bars on the rear margin of the dorsal and anal fins. Females lack these and tend to be smaller than males. If you intend to keep a pair, add them to the tank simultaneously.

[edit] Breeding/Propagation

Egg scatterers that produce pelagic eggs, often in midwater mating rituals. Both eggs and larvae that drift with plankton in the water column and settle back onto a reef at about the time of metamorphosis. These are among the most challenging types of marine fishes to propagate in captivity.

[edit] Notes

Keep one per tank, unless you have a 75-gallon (285 L) tank or larger and you can acquire a male and female or two females. The Whitetail Pygmy Angelfish is usually not overly aggressive, although more peaceful fishes should be introduced before it. It is more likely to cause problems with its tankmates in the tight confines of a smaller aquarium. It has been known to nip at fleshy coral polyps and clam mantles, but, if well fed, tends to do so less often than other angels.

Category: Species