TankBud

Blue angelfish

Holacanthus bermudensis

Also known as Bermuda Blue Angelfish, Common Angelfish, Blue Angel, Bermuda Angelfish

SaltwaterFish

Blue angelfish (Holacanthus bermudensis)
NURC/UNCW and NOAA/FGBNMS · Public domain

Care at a glance

Temperature
72–81°F
22–27°C
pH
8.1–8.4
Adult size
17.7 in
45 cm
Minimum tank
251 gal
950 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Own kind
One per tank
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Diet
Omnivore
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Common
Reef safe
Reef safe with caution
Family
Pomacanthidae
Origin
Western Atlantic from Bermuda and Florida through the Gulf of Mexico, on coral reefs and rocky ledges.

Overview

The blue angelfish is a large Atlantic angel for a very big saltwater tank. It takes a little experience to keep well.

Did you know

The blue angelfish interbreeds freely with the queen angelfish where their ranges overlap. The mixed-color hybrids were long thought to be their own species, once called the Townsend angel.

Caring for the blue angelfish

Give a blue angelfish at least 251 gal (950 L), with big rock caves and open water. Adults are dominant and need room.

Keep the water at 72 to 81°F (22 to 27°C) with a pH of 8.1 to 8.4. It is hardier and more willing to eat prepared foods than the rock beauty. It takes spirulina, angelfish preparations and meaty items.

The blue angelfish is aggressive toward other angels, so house only one per tank. Choose its other tank mates with caution too.

It nips stony and soft corals and clam mantles, so it is reef safe only with caution. Keep it in a fish-only tank or a carefully chosen reef.

Good to know

The blue angelfish belongs to the family Pomacanthidae. It has a tan-blue body and yellow-tipped fins. Adults lack the crown spot of the queen angelfish, Holacanthus ciliaris. It also goes by Bermuda blue angelfish and Bermuda angelfish.

In the wild

The blue angelfish ranges through the subtropical western Atlantic, from Bermuda and Florida through the Gulf of Mexico. It lives on coral reefs and rocky ledges, working the ledges and rocky bottoms for sponges, algae and tunicates.

Common questions

What size tank does a blue angelfish need?

A blue angelfish needs at least 251 gal (950 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a blue angelfish need?

A blue angelfish is comfortable at 72–81°F (22–27°C) with a pH of 8.1–8.4.

What does a blue angelfish eat?

A blue angelfish takes spirulina, angelfish preparations and meaty items. It is more willing to eat prepared foods than the rock beauty.

How big does a blue angelfish get?

An adult blue angelfish reaches about 17.7 in (45 cm).

Related species