Fish
Marine Angelfish
Pomacanthidae · also called saltwater angelfish
Turning edge-on to slip between two coral heads, a marine angelfish shows the tall, flattened body and the sharp gill-cover spine that mark one of the reef’s most recognisable families.
Overview
The marine angelfish, family Pomacanthidae, is native to ocean and coastal reef habitat across the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific. Its disc-shaped body, gill-cover spine, dramatic juvenile-to-adult colour changes, and large number of species make it one of the best-known and most colourful reef fish families.
Not the angelfish in the home aquarium
Despite the shared name, marine angelfish are entirely unrelated to the freshwater angelfish of hobby tanks, which are cichlids, a reminder that a common name is not always a reliable guide to family.
Status
Least Concern as a family, remaining widespread and generally common across suitable reef habitat worldwide, though individual species vary.
Marine Angelfish: common questions
Is a marine angelfish the same as a freshwater angelfish?
No, marine angelfish belong to the family Pomacanthidae, while the freshwater angelfish kept in home aquariums is a cichlid, an entirely separate and unrelated fish.
How can you tell an angelfish from a butterflyfish?
Marine angelfish have a strong spine on the lower edge of each gill cover, a feature butterflyfish lack.
Why do young angelfish look so different from adults?
Many species change colour and pattern between juvenile and adult stages, sometimes so completely that the two stages once seemed to be different species.
Where are marine angelfish found?
They are native to ocean and coastal reef habitat across the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific.