All fish / Pomacanthidae

French Angelfish

Pomacanthus paru

Also known as french angel, french angelfish juvenile, paru angelfish, black angelfish, フレンチエンゼルフィッシュ, 法国神仙鱼, 法国神仙

Adults are deep-bodied, blackish fish with each scale edged in bright yellow, and a yellow ring around the eye. Juveniles are black with vivid yellow vertical bands and often pick parasites off other fish. People keep it for its bold looks, curious nature and tendency to become very tame.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

35 cm

Temperature

24 to 27 °C

pH

8.1 to 8.4

Smallest tank

1000 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Western Atlantic from Florida and the Bahamas through the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean to Brazil; also St Paul's Rocks and parts of the eastern Atlantic

Breeding

Pairs spawn in open water at dusk, releasing floating eggs that hatch into tiny planktonic larvae. Captive breeding is very rare and almost all specimens are wild-caught.

Good to know

Grows to around 40 cm and needs a very large tank; it will nip corals, sponges and clams, so it is not reef-safe. Can be aggressive towards other angelfish, so add it last.