Japanese Swallowtail Angel - FOTM July '06

Discussion in 'Fish of the Month' started by karlas, Jul 2, 2006.

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  1. karlas

    karlas Fire Goby

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2002
    Messages:
    1,327
    Location:
    berwick, PA,Pennsylvania
    Male and Female Japanese Swallowtail Angelfish
    (Genicanthus melanospilos)

    Female
    [​IMG]

    Adult size - 4-5 inches

    Male
    [​IMG]

    Adult size- 7-8 inches

    Other names - Zebra Angel, Blackspot Angel

    Reef safe- They are considered in the large angelfish catagory. Also they are one of the very few angelfishes that will not nip at corals, clams, and other inverts, considered one of the safest angels for the reef aquarium.

    Attitude- A good community fish, I have them in with clowns, chromises, gobys, cardinal fish, and a foxface, keep to themselves pretty much.

    Diet- They taste test about any food put in the tank. They have taken to frozen, flake, pellet, and dried alge. They love live brine shrimp when I can pick it up. In the wild they mostly feed on zooplankton.

    Care- - Fairly easy to care for. Both male and female have taken to the tank fairly well and quickly.

    Observations- Once in a while the male will chase the female but no injuries have occured from it. When it comes to feeding both will push other fish out of the way to get to the food. They are big swimmers and are always out in the open until the lights go out then they hide immediatly. When the lights come on they are usually the first ones out in the tank.
    Use caution with anthias naturally they are food competors. I have a lyretail he gets chased once in a while but most of the time the angels do leave him alone. I have read articles where some do not mix at all. In the picture of the male you can see the lyretail right above him (pinkish in color)

    In the hobby the female is more readily available then the male. The males are only occasionally found and a little more expensive then the females. The female I found locally, the male I was on a few waiting list for and that was for a few months. On rare occasion you can find a mated pair up for sale but thats few and far between.

    These are awesome looking angelfish, and I looked all over the internet and did a lot of searching to find what reef safe angels were out there. If you do decide on these fish and cannot get a mated pair it's best to add the female first. The male did show some aggressivesness at first toward the female but she had her hiding spots and knew the tunnels in the rocks to get away. He has calmed down a lot and the aggressiviness has subsided except for a little chase here and there. These are probably one of the best additions I have added to the tank.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 3, 2006
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  3. Gresham

    Gresham Great Blue Whale

    Joined:
    Nov 7, 2002
    Messages:
    2,825
    Location:
    SF/Monterey Bay Area, CA
    One side note:

    Most Genicanthus are collected at greater depths then most fish. SAs such, they often have decompression problems due to collectors not treating the fish right. Some signs to watch for are:

    Red streaks (hemerages)
    Blown up belly, typically fish with this swim face down, butt up
    Red around belly and anus
    Ends of fins "blown out"
    Pop-eye (can be caused by other problems as well though)
    Sucked in belly
     
  4. karlas

    karlas Fire Goby

    Joined:
    Feb 20, 2002
    Messages:
    1,327
    Location:
    berwick, PA,Pennsylvania
    Thanks for the side note gresham. Thats one thing i didnt find when searching up on this fish but a good thing to look for if seen in a lfs for sale.
     
  5. szidls

    szidls Feather Duster

    Joined:
    Jan 24, 2004
    Messages:
    200
    Location:
    Lynnwood, WA
    Wow wonderful pick for FOTM. A female Swallowtail will be my next addition. Have been waiting for a good specemin at the lfs. As Gresham stated "look out for swim bladder issues". A great pair of swallowtail you have Karla.:)
     
  6. RCBruce

    RCBruce Astrea Snail

    Joined:
    Oct 29, 2006
    Messages:
    72
    Location:
    Baton Rouge Louisiana
    This is a great fish. I came across a female at a lfs and after some reading, went back and got it. Since then it has become my favorite fish. It even gets along with my coral beauty angel. I hope to find a male one day.
     

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