Marine Angelfish

"Marine angelfish" covers two groups of fish that have almost nothing in common beyond the name. Getting the difference right is the whole decision. Gallery Aquatica stocks eleven species at our shop in Tingalpa, east of the Brisbane CBD.

Angelfish are in-store purchase and pickup only. We do not send live fish by courier or freight. Ring 0420 484 584 if you are after a particular species.

Dwarf angels versus large angels

Dwarf angels (Centropyge) top out between 8 and 19 cm. They suit ordinary reef tanks, they are affordable, and they are among the more colourful fish in the hobby. The caveat is that any Centropyge may decide to sample coral - most commonly zoanthids and clam mantles - and there is no reliable way to know in advance which individual will. Keeping them well fed reduces it. It does not guarantee anything.

Large angels (Pomacanthus, Holacanthus, Chaetodontoplus) reach 25 to 45 cm and eat sessile invertebrates as a matter of course - coral, clams, sponges. They are magnificent fish and they belong in a large fish-only system, not a reef tank. Buy one for the adult it becomes, which in the case of a queen angel is 45 cm.

There is one exception, and it is worth the whole section: Genicanthus angels, of which we stock the Watanabe, feed on plankton in open water rather than grazing on the reef. They are the only large angelfish that is reliably reef safe.

The dwarf angels we stock

Flame Angel (Centropyge loriculus)

The most popular dwarf angel and one of the most striking small marine fish there is - scarlet with vertical black barring and blue-tipped rear fins. Reaches 10 cm, comfortable in 200 litres.

Hardy once settled and readily takes prepared food. Like all Centropyge it may nip zoanthids and clam mantles. Give it plenty of rockwork to duck into and it will spend most of its time in the open.

Coral Beauty (Centropyge bispinosa)

Deep blue-purple over an orange flank, the pattern varying a good deal between individuals. Reaches 10 cm in 200 litres.

The hardiest dwarf angel and usually the cheapest, which makes it the sensible first angelfish. It is also one of the more persistent coral nippers of the group, so weigh that against the price if the tank is full of zoanthids.

Bicolour Angel (Centropyge bicolor)

Front half yellow, back half deep blue, with a blue cap over the head - about as clean a colour split as any fish manages. Reaches 15 cm, wants 300 litres.

Beautiful, and the one dwarf angel with a reputation for being difficult on import. They often arrive stressed and can be slow to start feeding. Choose a specimen you have watched eat, and give it a mature tank rather than a new one.

Herald's Angel (Centropyge heraldi)

Plain, solid yellow with no markings at all - frequently mistaken at a glance for a small yellow tang, though the body shape is quite different. Reaches 10 cm in 200 litres.

Undemanding and less shy than most dwarf angels. A good choice if you want the colour of a yellow tang without the eventual 750 litre tank.

Keyhole Angel (Centropyge tibicen)

Matte black with a single white vertical blotch on the flank - the "keyhole" - and yellow edging along the belly. Reaches 19 cm, the largest dwarf angel here, so allow 400 litres.

Hardy and comparatively bold. The understated colouring means it is often overlooked, but it holds up well in a dark rockwork scape.

African Flameback (Centropyge acanthops)

Deep blue body with an orange-gold flame running from the head along the back, and a translucent yellow tail. Reaches only 8 cm - the smallest angelfish we stock - and works in 150 litres.

Genuinely suited to a smaller reef tank, which very few angelfish are. Active and quick to settle.

The large angels we stock

Watanabe Angel (Genicanthus watanabei)

The reef-safe one. A Genicanthus angel, which feeds on plankton in open water instead of grazing the rock, so it leaves coral and clams alone. Reaches 15 cm and wants 400 litres.

Males and females look like different species: the male carries bold horizontal black striping across a pale blue body, the female is plain blue-grey with a black-edged tail. They can be kept as a pair, which is unusual for angelfish.

Being a plankton feeder, it needs feeding more often than a grazing angel - two or three times a day rather than once. Elegant, peaceful, and the only large angel we would put in a reef tank.

Scribble Angel (Chaetodontoplus duboulayi)

An Australian species, found along the northern coast, and a handsome one - blue-grey with fine dark scribbling across the flank, a yellow tail and a black mask. Reaches 25 cm and wants 700 litres.

Not reef safe: it will graze on coral and sponge. Hardier than most large angels though, and smaller than the Pomacanthus species, which makes it the most manageable of the large angels here.

Emperor Angel (Pomacanthus imperator)

One of the most recognisable fish in the sea, and the classic case of juvenile and adult being unrecognisable as the same animal. The juvenile is black with concentric white and blue rings; the adult is horizontally striped yellow and blue with a black eye mask. The change takes a couple of years.

Reaches 40 cm and needs around 1900 litres. Not reef safe. Buy it understanding that the small ringed juvenile in the shop tank is a 40 cm fish in waiting.

Koran Angel (Pomacanthus semicirculatus)

Same story as the emperor. The juvenile carries curved white and blue bands on black; the adult is olive-brown with fine blue speckling and blue-edged fins. Reaches 40 cm, needs 1900 litres.

Hardy and long-lived. Not reef safe. Frequently sold as a juvenile to people who have no tank for the adult.

Queen Angel (Holacanthus ciliaris)

The largest fish on this page: 45 cm, and 2300 litres to house properly. Brilliant yellow and electric blue with a dark blue crown spot ringed in bright blue - the "crown" the name refers to.

Not reef safe, and assertive enough that it is often kept alone or with equally robust tankmates. A superb display fish for someone with a very large system, and the wrong fish for anyone else.

Which angelfish should you buy?

For a normal reef tank: a coral beauty if you want hardy and affordable, a flame angel if you want the colour, or an African flameback if the tank is on the smaller side. Accept that any of them might nip coral.

For a reef tank where you are not willing to risk coral at all: the Watanabe, which is the only genuinely reef-safe angel here.

For a large fish-only system: the emperor or Koran, or the queen if you have 2300 litres. The scribble angel is the pick if you want an Australian species and a slightly more manageable adult size.

Tankmates

Dwarf angels mix well with clownfish, gobies, blennies, chromis, anthias and tangs. Keep only one dwarf angel per tank unless the system is large - they are territorial toward each other.

Large angels need robust tankmates and a lot of water. They work with triggerfish, rabbitfish, morays and larger tangs. They will bully or eat anything small, so clownfish, gobies, blennies and chromis are out.

Common questions

Do you ship angelfish?

No. All marine fish are in-store purchase and pickup only. We do not send live fish by courier or freight.

Are these angelfish in stock right now?

These are the species we stock as our regular range, not a live inventory. Ring 0420 484 584 or email shop@galleryaquatica.com.au before travelling.

Are marine angelfish reef safe?

The Watanabe angel is, because it feeds on plankton rather than grazing the reef. The dwarf angels are usually fine but may nip zoanthids and clam mantles, and it varies by individual. The emperor, Koran, queen and scribble angels are not reef safe - they eat coral and sponge as part of their normal diet.

What is the difference between a dwarf and a large angelfish?

Size and diet. Dwarf angels (Centropyge) reach 8 to 19 cm and suit reef tanks from about 150 litres. Large angels reach 25 to 45 cm, need 700 to 2300 litres, and eat coral and other sessile invertebrates.

Can I keep two angelfish together?

Generally no, not of the same type. Dwarf angels are territorial toward other dwarf angels and large angels toward other large angels. The exception is the Watanabe, which can be kept as a male and female pair.

Why does the emperor angel in the shop look nothing like photos of an adult?

Because juvenile and adult emperor angels have completely different patterns. The juvenile is black with white and blue concentric rings; the adult is yellow and blue horizontal stripes. The transition takes around two years. Same fish.

What size tank does a flame angel need?

Around 200 litres. The same applies to the coral beauty and Herald's angel. An African flameback works in 150 litres, a bicolour wants 300 and a keyhole 400.

More marine fish

See all the marine fish we stock, or the Brisbane store page for coral and equipment.