Black Angel

About

Gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) are among the most personable large angels you'll encounter, both on the reef and in the aquarium. In the wild they range across the Western Atlantic from the coast of New England all the way down to Brazil, with the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean forming the heart of their range. Adults are broad and flattened in the classic angelfish shape, dressed in a pale gray and brown palette with scaled edges that give each flank a finely patterned look. Understated compared to some of their flashier relatives, but genuinely handsome up close. Juveniles wear a completely different outfit: bold black and yellow vertical stripes that fade gradually as the fish matures. Young fish are also part-time cleaners, setting up informal cleaning stations on the reef where they pick parasites from other fish. A fascinating behavior that disappears with age. Adults feed heavily on sponges, rounding that out with tunicates, algae, gorgonians, and various other sessile invertebrates. They form monogamous pairs in the wild that share a home range without defending hard territory, and that relaxed temperament carries into the aquarium. They tend to be curious rather than aggressive. Given their potential size, this species demands a very large, well-established system and is best suited to keepers with some experience running big marine tanks.