‹ Fish Finder· #361
Emperor Angelfish
Pomacanthus imperator
Bislamapapiong— names this kind of animal, not this species alone
- Habitat
- Reef
- Max size
- 48 cm
- Depth
- 1-100 m
- Family
- Pomacanthidae
The emperor angelfish is a species of marine angelfish. It is a reef-associated fish, native to the Indian and Pacific Oceans, from the Red Sea to Hawaii and the Austral Islands. This species is generally associated with stable populations and faces no major threats of extinction. It is a favorite of photographers, artists, and aquarists because of its unique, brilliant pattern of coloration.
Adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Easily confused with
Side by side, with what tells them apart.
The adults look nothing alike; the young are the puzzle. Both juveniles are dark blue with curved white lines. Emperor Angelfish's lines close into complete rings towards the tail. Semicircle Angelfish's lines run straight near the head and bend into open half-circles towards the tail, never closing. The adult emperor is striped blue and yellow with a dark mask; the adult semicircle is brownish green speckled with blue.
See the Semicircle Angelfish →
The adults are easy; the young are the puzzle. Both juveniles are blue-black with curved white and blue lines. The young Emperor Angelfish's lines close into complete rings towards the tail, and its dorsal fin has a white edge; the young Sixbar Angelfish has about fifteen curved bars that never close. Adults: the emperor is striped blue and yellow with a dark mask; the sixbar is yellowish tan with five black bars and a blackish head crossed by a white bar behind the eye.
See the Sixbar Angelfish →