All fish / Pomacanthidae

Goldtail Angelfish

Pomacanthus chrysurus

Also known as goldtail angel, ear spot angelfish, earspot angelfish, gold tail angelfish, goldtail angel fish, チリュースエンゼル, 金尾刺蝶鱼, 金尾神仙

Adults are dark brown with thin pale vertical bars, an orange to yellow tail and a dark ear spot behind the gill cover, while juveniles are blue-black with curved white and blue lines. It is a rare and expensive large angelfish prized by experienced reef and fish-only keepers for its subtle colouring and bold personality.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

28 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: sponge-based angelfish foods, marine algae and nori, mysis, krill and chopped seafood

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Indian Ocean: East Africa, Gulf of Aden, Madagascar, Comoros and Seychelles

Breeding

It is a pelagic spawner that releases eggs into open water at dusk, and the larvae drift as plankton. It has not been bred reliably in home aquariums.

Good to know

Grows large and can bully other angelfish, so it needs a very big tank with plenty of rockwork. It will nip at corals, clams and sessile invertebrates, so it is not reef safe.