Yellow-faced Angelfish

About

The blue-face angelfish (Pomacanthus xanthometopon) is one of the more visually dramatic members of a family not short on drama. Adults develop that distinctive yellow face mask edged in vivid blue. A coloration that sets them apart from other large angels in the Indo-Pacific. In the wild, these fish roam coral-rich lagoons, channels, and outer reef slopes from the Maldives east to Vanuatu, often sheltering near caves and overhangs. Juveniles look almost nothing like the adults, sporting the dark body with white and blue banding typical of young pomacanthids, and in nature they settle in very shallow inshore caves where algae grows on the walls. As with most large angels, the transformation from juvenile to adult coloration is a gradual and fascinating process. In the aquarium, smaller individuals, those under around eight inches or so, adapt to captivity more readily than large wild-caught adults. They'll graze live rock for algae and tunicates, so a well-established system suits them well. Temperament-wise, they can get territorial, particularly when they're the biggest fish in the system, so tank mates should be chosen with that in mind. This is a fish that needs genuine space to thrive, both physically and socially.