Black Velvet Angelfish - Large

Black Velvet Angelfish

The Black Velvet Angelfish has some striking yellow markings as a juvenile. One is a band that runs down its body behind its head. Another yellow stripe is on the front of its face. The dorsal and anal fins have a thick yellow trim. As this species matures, the band behind the head and the stripe on the face disappear. The yellow trim on the fins thins and recedes. Adults have a pattern of yellow marks on their faces and two-tone body colour. The lower half of their body is dark grey or black, and their upper body is light grey.

The species is hermaphroditic. They are born female and change sex to male when it as needed. Females and males can be identified by their size, with females being smaller. It hasn't been possible to breed them in captivity and there are no reports on spawning. Other members of the Chaetodontoplus family have been observed spawning. Behaviour across the family may be similar. Courtship starts around an hour before sunset. The male will try to attract a female by swimming over her and then tilt its body with its fins out. The female will enter the males' territory, where he will have a spawning site. They ascend into the water column and the male nuzzles the females' belly. Once they are two metres above the spawning site they release their gametes.

The Black Velvet Angelfish is native to the Indo-Pacific. It can be found near Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Japan. Its natural habitat is on rocky reefs with strong currents, between depths of 4-30 metres.

Tank Recommendations for the Black Velvet Angelfish

Black Velvet Angelfish need a tank that is at least 75 gallons (284 litres) capacity. A pair will need at least 180 gallons (681 litres), and more of the same genus will need over 250 gallons (946 litres).

If attempting to house in a reef environment this species will need monitoring, as it nips at corals. A suitable tank should have plenty of live rock with algae growth. Established aquariums are preferable, with sponge growth, if possible.

Rockwork should be arranged to provide caves and crevices. This will give them a sense of security when introduced to the aquarium. There needs to be good water movement as they are used to currents in the wild.

Suitable Tank Buddies

The Black Velvet Angelfish is less aggressive than some other Angelfish and can be kept in a community tank.

Adult mated pairs can be kept together but juveniles will fight. They will be aggressive to their own kind and similar looking fish from the same genus.

Usually Compatible

Suitable companions include Cardinalfish, Filefish, Gobies, Damselfish, Fairy Basslets, and Fairy Wrasses.

Sometime Compatible

It is possible to house Black Velvet Angelfish as a mated pair or harem. But the tank must be sufficiently large. Larger semi-aggressive fish such as Tangs, Wrasses, and other large Angelfish may bully it. Anemones should be ok if guarded by a boisterous Clownfish.

Rarely Compatible

Avoid larger predatory fish such as Soapfish, Groupers, and Lionfish.

Feeding Your Black Velvet Angelfish

The Black Velvet Angelfish is omnivorous. In the wild, they eat sponges, tunicates, weeds, and algae. In a tank, they will graze on rocks that are covered in algae or sponge encrusted. A suitable diet should have chopped seafood, frozen products, spirulina, and shrimp. Flake food containing sponge material is also beneficial. Feed 3-5 times per day, but this can be reduced if there is a lot of algae available in the tank.