African Angelfish

Holacanthus africanus

Also known as West African Angelfish, Guinean Angelfish, Africanus Angelfish

SaltwaterFish

African Angelfish (Holacanthus africanus) — Reeffish · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 73–81°F (23–27°C)
pH: 8.1–8.4
Adult size: 17.7 in (45 cm)
Minimum tank: 251 gal (950 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Hard
Rarity: Rare
Reef safe: Not reef safe
Origin: Tropical West Africa
Family: Pomacanthidae

Overview

A large, bold grazer for a 950 litre or larger fish display; it picks at coral polyps, soft corals, and clams, so it is not a reef fish. Adults claim territory and push smaller or similar-shaped tankmates around, yet the species is hardy for a big angel and often turns into an interactive pet that greets its keeper at the glass.

In the wild

Lives along the tropical West African coast from Senegal south to Angola, including the Cape Verde Islands and the Gulf of Guinea islands. It favours shallow rocky reefs and coral patches, often in turbid water where few other angelfish occur.

Good to know

Holacanthus africanus is the only member of its genus in the eastern Atlantic, recorded to about 45 cm although aquarium adults usually stay nearer 30 cm. Juveniles are deep blue and black with a pale body bar, then shift through patchy in-between stages to an olive and tan adult with a dark chest.

Did you know

The change from blue juvenile to olive adult is so gradual that no two young fish look alike for long, and sellers of captive-bred stock will not promise what pattern a growing fish will show next month.