Grey angelfish
(Pomacanthus arcuatus)
Facts
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IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)
Facts about this animal
Grey angelfish reach a length of 60 cm and a body-weight of 1.8 kg.
Grey angelfish are not very social, usually living solitary, occasionally in pairs. They feed mainly on sponges, but also takes tunicates, algae, zoantharians, gorgonians, hydroids, bryozoans, and seagrasses.
Did you know?
that juvenile grey angelfish are not grey? They are black with two light yellow bars on the body and three on the head. Their tail fin is yellow with a oval or rectangular black spot in the middle.
| Factsheet | |
|---|---|
| Class | ACTINOPTERYGII |
| Order | PERCIFORMES |
| Suborder | PERCOIDEI |
| Family | POMACANTHIDAE |
| Name (Scientific) | Pomacanthus arcuatus |
| Name (English) | Grey angelfish |
| Name (French) | Poisson-ange gris |
| Name (German) | Grauer Kaiserfisch |
| Name (Spanish) | Pez ángel gris |
| Local names | Portugués: Frade branco, frade, enxada, paru-bordado, paru-da-pedra, paru-dourado, paru-frade, paru-listrado Español: cachama blanca, chivirica gris |
| CITES Status | Not listed |
| CMS Status | Not listed |
Photo Copyright by
Albert Kok
Distribution
| Distribution | |
|---|---|
| Range | Western Atlantic from New England (USA) to Brazil, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean |
| Habitat | Coral reefs from 2 to 30 m depth. |
| Wild population | Unknown. This is avery common species.The population trend is stable (Red List IUCN 2012) |
| Zoo population | Considering that most publc aquaria are not part of the WAZA system and do not register their collections with ISIS, available ISIS data are not significant. |
In the Zoo
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How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 51 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Fish must be unpacked carefully and under low illumination.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
Albert Kok
Why do zoos keep this animal
Grey angelfish are not an endangered species but their habitats, coral reefs, are threatened in many places. They are thus presented by zoos and aquariums as an ambassador species for reef protection.