All fish / Pomacanthidae

Koran Angelfish

Pomacanthus semicirculatus

Also known as semicircle angelfish, koran angel, blue koran angelfish, halfcircled angelfish, semicircular angelfish, no angelfish, ปลาสินสมุทรวงพระจันทร์, サザナミヤッコ, injel batik, kambing-kambing, 半环刺盖鱼, 蓝纹神仙

Juveniles are dark blue with curved white and pale blue rings, while adults turn greenish brown to blue-grey with fine blue spots and edging and a yellowish face. It is a hardy, long-lived large angelfish that becomes very tame, which makes it a popular showpiece for big fish-only aquariums.

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

800 litres

Keep as

Keep singly, one large angelfish per tank

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

15 to 20 years

Water

Marine (saltwater)

Wild range

Indo-West Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa to Samoa, southern Japan and Australia

Breeding

It is a pelagic spawner that releases eggs into open water at dusk in pairs. Captive breeding is rare and essentially impossible in home aquariums, though a few commercial hatcheries have raised it.

Good to know

Grows to around 35 to 40 cm, needs a very large tank and is not reef safe, as it nips corals, clams and sessile invertebrates. It can be aggressive towards other angelfish and similar-looking species, so add it last.