Shepard's Angelfish

Geographic Origin and Biotope: Western Pacific: Mariana Islands, Ogasawara Islands, and Guam. Inhabits outer reef slopes exposed to strong surge at depths of 10 to 50 meters.

Taxonomy and Morphology: Member of the family Pomacanthidae. Reaches a maximum size of 9 cm. Oval, compressed body with a prominent spine on the preopercle.

Social Behavior: Solitary or haremic. Actively grazes on microalgae and small invertebrates on reef rocks. Defends its foraging territory.

Coloration and Sexual Dimorphism: Bright orange to reddish base body color with dark vertical bars on the upper flanks and blue margin accents on the fins. Protogynous hermaphrodite.

Aquarium Setup: Minimum 200 liters. Requires a mature tank with extensive live rock setups providing shelter caves and grazing surfaces.

Diet and Feeding: Omnivore. Provide algae-based flakes, spirulina pellets, frozen mysis, and enriched brine shrimp 2-3 times daily.

Water Quality: Keep temperature at 22-28°C, pH 8.1-8.4, and salinity at 1.020-1.025 SG. Good water flow and filtration are necessary.

Compatibility and Tankmates: Safe with caution in reefs. May nip at stony corals, zoanthids, and clam mantles. Avoid keeping with similar dwarf angelfish.

Aquarium Reproduction: Broadcast pelagic spawner at dusk. Eggs float to the surface. Larvae are pelagic and have not been successfully reared in typical home setups.

Risks and Diseases: Susceptible to marine ich and velvet under stress. Monitor coral health closely, as hungry individuals may damage corals.