🐾 Angelfish

Angelfish

▶

Tap a video to play it

🔍 See more videos →

Photos

✖ ❮ ❯

Who it is

• Scientific name: Pomacanthidae
• Family & relatives: Marine angelfish are a family of about 90 species and are often confused with the similar-looking butterflyfishes.
• How to spot it: Flat, disc-shaped fish in dazzling colors and patterns, with a small spine on each gill cover.

Its body & abilities

• Size: Ranges from about 15 centimeters in small species to around 60 centimeters in the largest.
• Weight: A light reef fish, generally under about 2 kilograms even in big species.
• Body & adaptations: A tall, thin body and rounded fins let it slip through tight reef spaces.
• Top speed: A graceful, unhurried swimmer that maneuvers rather than sprints.
• Strength: Its signature skill is squeezing sideways through narrow coral cracks to reach food and safety.
• Senses: Keen eyesight guides it as it forages carefully over the reef.
• Growing up: Larvae drift in open water, then settle on reefs where juveniles often wear different colors than adults.

Where it lives

• Habitat: Lives on warm, shallow coral reefs rich with hiding places.
• Where in the world: Found in tropical waters of the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans.
• Territory: Pairs or small groups defend a feeding territory on the reef.

What it eats

• Diet: Diet varies, but many eat sponges, algae, and small invertebrates.
• Favorite foods: Feeds on sponges, tunicates, algae, plankton, and coral polyps depending on species.
• How it hunts: Grazes slowly over the reef, picking food from crevices and surfaces.

How it behaves

• How it moves: Swims mainly by rowing with its pectoral fins for precise control.
• When it is active: Active by day and hides in reef caves at night.
• Family life: Often lives in pairs or small harems led by one male.
• How it talks: Uses bright colors and some make grunting sounds to communicate.
• Babies: Pairs rise into the water to release eggs and sperm that drift as plankton.

Its place in nature

• Role in nature: Helps control sponge and algae growth, shaping the reef community.
• Conservation: Most are common, but reef loss and the aquarium trade affect some species.
• Dangers: Larvae and young are eaten by many predators; adults hide in the reef to stay safe.

Life & legacy

• How long it lives: Can live around 10 to 15 years, sometimes longer.
• In our culture: A favorite of underwater photographers and marine aquarium keepers for their beauty.
• Where to see it: Seen while snorkeling or diving tropical reefs, and in public aquariums.
• Fun fact: Young and adult angelfish can look so different that people once thought they were separate species.