All fish / Pomacanthidae

Asfur Angelfish

Pomacanthus asfur

Also known as arabian angelfish, asfur angel, crescent angelfish, half moon angelfish, red sea asfur, arabian angel, asfur, アラビアンエンゼル, アスフール, 阿拉伯神仙, 月眉神仙, 黄尾新月神仙

Adults are deep blue to almost black with a bright yellow tail and a broad yellow crescent band behind the head, while juveniles are dark blue with pale curved bars. It is kept as a hardy, striking showpiece for large fish-only or reef aquariums with plenty of swimming room.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

700 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; one large angelfish per tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Red Sea, Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea to Zanzibar)

Breeding

It is a pelagic egg scatterer that spawns in pairs at dusk, and the larvae drift in the plankton for weeks. Captive breeding is very rare and not practical for home aquarists.

Good to know

Grows to around 40 cm in the wild and needs a very large tank; it will nip corals, clams and sessile invertebrates. Juveniles look similar to the Yellowbar (Maculosus) angelfish, which has a yellow patch rather than a full crescent.