All fish / Pomacanthidae

Yellowbar Angelfish

Pomacanthus maculosus

Also known as half-moon angelfish, halfmoon angelfish, yellow bar angelfish, yellowbar angelfish, map angelfish, maculosus angelfish, blue moon angelfish, purple moon angelfish, yellowband angelfish, サザナミヤッコ, 黄纹刺盖鱼, 半月神仙

Adults are deep blue to purple with a bold yellow bar on the flank and long trailing dorsal and anal fin tips, while juveniles are dark blue with thin pale curved stripes. It is one of the hardiest large angelfish, adapting well to prepared foods, which makes it a popular centrepiece for big fish-only systems.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

800 litres

Keep as

Keep singly; one large angelfish per tank

Diet

Omnivore: marine algae and spirulina-based foods, sponge-containing preparations, mysis, krill, chopped seafood

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 15 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Indian Ocean: Red Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and East African coast

Breeding

A pelagic spawner that releases eggs into open water, usually as a pair at dusk. Captive breeding is very rare and almost all specimens in the trade are wild caught.

Good to know

Grows large and becomes territorial, especially towards other angelfish and similar-looking fish, so it needs a very big tank. It will nip corals, clams and soft invertebrates, so it is not reef safe.