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 | Portuguese: Frade branco, frade, enxada, paru-bordado, paru-da-pedra, paru-dourado, paru-frade, paru-listrado Spanish: 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. |
| 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
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
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.
How this animal should be kept
Minimum tank size for adults is 5 m³ (5000 liter), Salinity should be in the order of 34 to 35 ppt, The water should be slightly alkaline with a pH from 8.1 to 8.4. Carbonate hardness must not fall under 7 to 9 KH, it may be relatively high if stony corals are kept in the tank, but should never exceed 14 HK. Water temperature should range from 22-28 °C.