Chaetodontoplus duboulayi
The Australian Angelfish, Chaetodontoplus duboulayi, Scribbled Angelfish are naturally found in the Indo-West Pacific Ocean, from Australia to Papua New Guinea. These fish can be found swimming alone or in small groups at depths of 1 to 20 m. The fish prefer to stay in coastal areas in shallow water near reefs with rocky or sandy bottoms. It is advisable to keep the fish by trained aquarists.
Chaetodontoplus duboulayi have a characteristic "scratched" pattern on their bodies. Body coloration varies from dark blue to black. dorsal and anal plumage is wide, with light blue edging, with dark blue and blue lines. The lips are pale yellow with a broad vertical band of black running through the eye to the throat. There is another yellowish stripe bordering the body from the head. Sexual differences are poorly pronounced. Males sometimes have a small white spot on the gill cover. Males are also more brightly coloured and have more contrasting horizontal stripes on the body. The maximum size of the fish reaches 28 cm.
Although Chaetodontoplus duboulayi is not considered reef safe, it is nevertheless possible to keep them in an aquarium with a small amount of hard coral. Fish require plenty of free space for swimming. They also need plenty of live rock.
Keep the young fish in an aquarium of about 200 liters, an adult aquarium of 400 liters is required. A pair of fish can be kept in an aquarium of 500 liters and should be started at the same time. Keeping these fish with other members of the family Pomacanthidae requires a considerably larger tank (1200 l and larger). Pomacanthidae may be kept together with other peaceful or moderately aggressive fish.
At the bottom should be placed piles of stones in the form of caves, which could freely swim fish.
Water parameters: temperature 22-27° C, hardness dH 8-12°, pH 7.8-8.4, salinity 1.023-1.025. Requires filtration and aeration of water, as well as a weekly substitution of ¼ of it with fresh. Also ensure sufficiently strong water flow, e.g. by using a pump.
Strong to medium light, lasting about 12 hours a day. The lighting should be such as to encourage active algae growth.
The diets of fish in nature consist of algae, sponges and shellfish. In an aquarium, they are fed with fresh, frozen and freeze-dried spirulina, seaweed, shrimp, clams, squid and octopus meat. The fish need to be fed twice a day.
Reproduction
Under aquarium conditions, Chaetodontoplus duboulayi does not breed.
In the wild, during the spawning season, the male starts courting the female with his head tilted. This usually occurs one hour before dusk. The female does not show attention to the male's courtship until she is ready to spawn. As soon as she shows attention to the male, she swims up to him and he pokes his nose into her abdomen. At this time, the female will hatch a batch of eggs, which the male will immediately fertilise. The eggs are incubated for 24 hours. The parents don't take care of the hatching larvae.
The lifespan of the Chaetodontoplus duboulayi in an aquarium is about 20 years.
