Head to head
Emperor Angelfish vs Regal Angelfish
Emperor Angelfish
VS Regal Angelfish
The emperor angelfish and regal angelfish are both sponge-eating Indo-Pacific angelfish, but they are remembered for different reasons, one for its dramatic colour change as it grows, the other for bold bands and a reputation for being hard to keep alive.
| Emperor Angelfish | Regal Angelfish | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Pomacanthus imperator | Pygoplites diacanthus |
| Adult colouring | Yellow and blue stripes with a dark eye mask | Orange and blue-white vertical bands with a yellow tail |
| Juvenile appearance | Dark blue with concentric white rings, very different from the adult | Not specifically documented |
| Genus | Part of a genus containing several angelfish | The only member of its genus |
| Behaviour | Can produce a low thumping sound when threatened | Shy, retreating quickly into crevices |
| Survival in captivity | Not specifically noted as difficult | Notoriously difficult, due to a specialised sponge diet |
| Native range | Indo-Pacific | Indo-Pacific |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Emperor Angelfish vs Regal Angelfish: common questions
Which angelfish changes its appearance more as it grows, the emperor or the regal angelfish?
The emperor angelfish, whose dark blue, white-ringed juvenile gives way to a yellow-and-blue striped adult so different that the two stages can look like separate species.
Which is harder to keep in an aquarium, the emperor angelfish or the regal angelfish?
The regal angelfish, which depends on a narrow diet of sponges and tunicates that is hard to replicate in captivity, so many captured individuals do not survive for long.
Do the emperor angelfish and regal angelfish eat the same things?
Broadly yes, both feed mainly on sponges and tunicates, supplemented by algae, which is typical of many larger marine angelfish.