All fish / Pomacanthidae

Grey Angelfish

Pomacanthus arcuatus

Also known as gray angelfish, grey angel, gray angel, black angelfish, arcuatus angelfish, グレーエンゼルフィッシュ, 灰神仙, 灰刺蝶鱼

Adults are tall, disc-shaped angelfish with a pale grey body, darker scale spots, a whitish mouth and a pale-edged square tail. Juveniles look very different, being black with bright yellow vertical bands. It is kept for its large size, hardiness once settled and its calm, curious character with keepers.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

22 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

Keep one per tank

Diet

Omnivore: sponge-based angelfish foods, spirulina, nori, mysis, krill and chopped seafood

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic: New England and Bermuda to the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and southeastern Brazil

Breeding

It spawns in pairs in open water, releasing tiny floating eggs at dusk. Captive breeding is very rare and is not practical for home aquariums.

Good to know

Grows large and needs a very big fish-only or rockwork tank, as it will nip at sponges, soft corals, clams and some stony corals. Juveniles are easily confused with French angelfish (Pomacanthus paru), which have a yellow-edged rounded tail.